Bodyguard: A Victubia fanfic
by TheGreatColossus
Summary: A new fanfic featuring Marthus, my OC! This is set after the events of my main fanfic, and it will likely be shorter chapters. Rated M for gore.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first chapter of a new fanfic! It will probably be shorter chapters than my main one, but it will be featuring many of the same characters. This is pretty much what Marthus does for work, apart from the machinists shop. Hope you enjoy._

A candle flickered on the table. By its dim light, shadowy figures could be seen sitting in rickety chairs. The rafters above were covered in cobwebs, and creaked with the shifting of the old house. Finally, one of the figures spoke.

"So, we have the plan. When do we do this?" The voice was deep and gravelly, likely male.

"We do this soon. I say within the week." Another speaker rose. This voice was undoubtedly female.

"Is this the majority's wish?" The first speaker gestured to the group around the table in the flickering light.

"All in favor raise hands." The woman snapped.

Four figures raised their hands, while two kept their hands in their laps. The first speaker looked at the woman, and nodded.

"Then it is decided. We begin within the week. Everyone knows their roles?"

A chorus of 'yes's and 'aye's came from around the table. As one, they rose, donned cloaks and jackets, and filed out a low doorway, into the night.

Marthus stood at the gate of Minx Castle. He was reporting for his first day of work, and he could already tell he would be late. A sleepy looking guard briefly examined his papers, and then motioned for the doors to be opened. Marthus walked into the Castle. He took his time on the way to the Queen's chambers, given that the last time he was here he was fighting for his life. The Castle was quite large, at least compared to what he was used to, so it took him a while to make his way up to the chambers.

Marthus approached the door and knocked hesitantly. "Hello? Your Majesties? You summoned me here, I'm Marthus."

Marthus was surprised when Queen Krism opened the door. Her red eye glowed as she smiled. "Oh! Come in, we've been waiting for you. My wife was worried you weren't coming."

"I couldn't disobey a direct summons from Her Majesty, now could I?"

"I suppose not, but it's good to see you all the same."

She opened the door, and Marthus saw that a table had been set up with tea and biscuits, and that Queen Minx was already seated. He immediately dropped to one knee.

"Your Majesty."

"You may rise. Would you like some tea or biscuits? We have things to discuss."

The room was decently sized, and the main furnishing was the table in the middle and a pair of armchairs near a stout oak door, probably leading to the bedrooms. There was a large window looking out over an incredible view of the city, and a portrait of Minx and Krism hanging on the wall. A glass vase of roses and violets sat on a small table in the corner.

"Pardon me for asking, but why am I here?"

"Ah, the question of the hour. Krism and I have been thinking, after various… issues, that it might be time to hire an escort of some kind."

Marthus reddened. "Um, your majesty?" Krism hid her mouth with her hand and laughed silently.

"NOT THAT KIND! What I meant to say, is that we may want some kind of protection, and from what I hear, your abilities are quite extraordinary."

 _I mean, I'm running the shop currently, but a little extra money would always come in handy. I'm sure I could handle it._ "Well, are you really giving me the choice?"

"Well, I could command you to do it I suppose, but neither Krism nor I would like to."

"I suppose I co-" Marthus was interrupted by the window shattering. Not rising from his chair, a pink barrier formed in front of the table. There was a dull _thunk_ , and a crossbow bolt fell to the floor.

"Get down!" Marthus yelled, leaping across the room to the door, hearing sounds of fighting outside. He drew his sword and approached the door to the hallway. Minx and Krism were standing in a corner, out of the main lines of fire.

There was a brief gurgle from the hall, and it was silent. Marthus held up a hand, and the door exploded into splinters, bursting into the hallway beyond. He could hear a grunt of pain. Outside, two men were awaiting the attack they knew was coming. They were completely unprepared for Marthus to launch himself upwards through the door, releasing a lightning bolt in their direction, knocking the first man to the floor.

The second man raised his sword, only to be disarmed almost instantly, and then again a moment later. Marthus walked over to the second man, stepping over the first man's limbs that were now on the floor, separate from the rest of the man. The second man attempted to crawl away. He was larger than the first man, and had an eyepatch.

"Please! Spare me! I'll tell you all I know!"

"We don't need to know anything from you."

A brief flash of light, and a burning smell followed Marthus back into the chambers. Krism was bashing a man into the floor with a red spirit mace, and as Marthus watched, she turned and whacked another man in the stomach, slamming him to the floor.

"Well, you guys seem to be doing just fine. You sure you wanna hire me?"

Minx was glowing purple, likely purple spirits. She turned and squarely punched another would-be assassin in the face that had just come in the window, dropping him cold. Marthus could hear the thud from across the room.

"You… Will do nicely." The Queen panted.

"Well, what should we do with our survivors here? And how did they get in?"

"They came in through the window. Thank you for dealing with the hallway. I'll need to investigate this breach in security, it's worrying. Also, you're hired."

 _So what did you think? This is gonna be a little side series. It's likely gonna be a lot of fighting, given that Marthus is now a bodyguard and all. Thanks for reading, and leave a review if you liked it!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey! It's Bodyguard chapter 2! I'm still working on Marthus, but due to factors beyond my control (homework, my Borderlands 2 addiction) I am progressing slower than hoped. I will have the next chapter out soon! In the meantime, please enjoy Bodyguard! Credits to Gabbi for her OC Felice (and herself of course), and to ChiefArbiterMegaBloks for his OC Detective Scott._

The attic is slightly lit by a few candles scattered around the room. The same group sat around the rickety table, and none could see the others' faces. Many of them hung their heads, while one large man stood with a knife in his hand.

"What do you all have to say for yourselves? Your plan failed terribly. The Queens both live, and you've brought a new piece to the board, on _their_ side. Who is this new bodyguard they have?"

No one answered. The stench of fear was heavy in the attic. The man was obviously enraged, and a few members of the group could be seen reaching for knives at belts, or preparing to shove their chairs back. A woman stood.

"Reiner, please calm yourself. This is but a minor setback. We have other options, and this time our assassins will not fail. I shall make sure of that. We are done here."

No one stirred. The man, Reiner, glared at the woman and sat down. "Did she not say we were done here? _Begone!_ "

O===O

A dark figure sat at the head of the table, starkly silhouetted against the rising moon shining through the window behind him. He was waiting for the woman across from him to speak. The candlelight flickering from the lamps glinted off red glass lenses over his eyes.

"Detective Scott, after looking over your files, I think that you should continue investigations, but with caution. We don't want to alert the public that there may be some larger conspiracy against the state. Thank you for your time, you may go."

The man stood, meeting the woman's gaze through the red goggles. A secretary handed the man his coat and Scott began striding out. Halfway to the door, he turned.

"Would you like me to post a guard outside this building? It would be no extra trouble. We need to make sure you are safe as well."

"That will be unnecessary. My MODs can protect me quite well if needed. Felice, please show Detective Scott the way out of HQ."

"Anything else I can get you Mayor?" The secretary asked.

"No, thank you Felice."

"Shall I come back tomorrow ma'am? I should have the full reports by then." The detective asked at the door.

"Sure. I will be glad to see the big picture."

Gabbi sighed as the door clicked. It had been a long day, filled with meetings with everyone from Scott to the Queens themselves! What she really needed right now was a cup of tea. The tired Mayor stood up and began trudging to the small burner that always had a kettle on. She decided to bring the whole kettle over, and sat with her eyes closed as she waited for it to boil. _This business with the assassins… Maybe I should have accepted the detective's offer for a guard. The MODs are good, but they're not here at all times. Besides, Raz would probably know about any assassins, given that he's probably involved with half of them._ "Here's the final piece of paperwork for the night!" The Mayor jumped. She hadn't even heard Felice come in. "I'm sorry, did I disturb you?" Felice said concernedly.

"No, no, it's just been a long day and I'm getting lost in my head. You can put it on my desk."

The door closed quietly behind Felice as the kettle came to a boil. A few minutes later, the Mayor sat at her desk, reading paperwork and drinking the cup of tea. The kettle still sat on the burner, ready to boil more water.

 _Click._

There was a distant click of a door closing. _That's strange, Felice has already left the building. Must be one of the MODs coming in. But it's still strange…_ Gabbi stood, stealthily pushing her chair back, and grabbing the dagger-like letter opener off of the desk. She walked over to the side door, and opened it into the hall. The lamps were lit, but one of them near the window was out, as if extinguished by a draft of air from an window, or an open door.

"Felice? Is that you?"

Silence pervaded the hall as the Mayor crept along the wall. Gabbi realized she was sweating, and re-tightened her grip on the blade in her hand.

"If one of the MODs put you up to this, there _will_ be consequences! I could have you fired!"

Still nothing. Just as the Mayor turned back to her room, there was a slight tinkle, like the sound of a glass breaking. She slinked as quietly as she could, back to the side door. She flung open the door, to see a masked man frantically trying to pick up pieces of a fallen teacup.

"YOU SPILLED MY TEA!?" The Mayor exploded in rage, throwing herself violently at the intruder.

The man stood no chance. Within moments he was out cold, dropped by a vicious kick from the pink-haired attacker, and was dragged into the corner of the room and bound up.

Gabbi was breathing heavily. _I should call the MODs. This man was obviously not the only one, the door that closed was in the opposite direction from my office. I'll barricade the door._ The Mayor began dragging furniture in front of the door, while a slight breeze blew through the small gap between the window behind her and the sill.

O===O

In a different part of the building, grunts and moans were the main ambient sound, as Marthus stood over the inert bodies of the would-be Mayor assassins. They had obviously taken a wrong turn, right into Marthus, who had been sent directly from the Queen after a new connection had been discovered in the case. Detective Scott had already dispatched the police, but Marthus had been nearby and had seen someone he thought he recognized from the failed assassination of the Queens earlier in the week. _And now I'm here. I still don't know if the Mayor is alive, or if I've failed already._ He sprinted towards the hall door, bursting through into a pitch black hall. He summoned a fireball to his hand.

"Hello? Mayor Gabbi? Are you alive in here?"

Nothing but silence awaited his question, and he began to creep towards the office door.

O===O

On the other side of the door, the Mayor stood with her back to the window and her letter opener in her hands. "Marthus? Is that you?"

"Yes! I can't seem to open the door!"

"I kind of barricaded it to keep the assassins out. Give me a moment to clear the way. Have you seen my MODs?"

"I haven't seen them around. I've disposed of two other assassins, but intelligence says there's one more."

A slight creak from the sill behind her was the only thing the Mayor heard before cold steel pressed against her neck.

A voice whispered: " _Do not speak. You'll only cut your own throat. We'll go out through the window. I would drop that letter opener if I were you."_

The Mayor gulped, and slowly bent over to place the letter opener on the floor. The pink-haired woman was tied at the wrists before being led to the window, all at knifepoint. The man opened the window and briefly turned around, while still keeping the knife close. Gabbi yelled.

O===O

Marthus never could resist a flair for the dramatic, or badass, whatever you wanted to call it. As he floated outside the door in battle armor, he waited for a cue. _Screw it._ The door practically detonated as Marthus obliterated it with an earthshaking strike from his blade. The air turned slightly blue as he slowed time, sprinting towards the window, and quickly disarming the assassin and throwing the Mayor, who was still frozen in time, out of harms way.

Real time snapped back, and the Mayor found herself on the floor. A luminous figure stood at the window, engaging in hand to hand combat with her would-be assassin. As she watched, the assassin tackled the armored figure out of the window. A crunch outside disclosed that the bushes were officially destroyed. Gabbi picked up the letter opener and cautiously crept over to the window. There was a burst of light, and the assassin came flying back into the room, sans one arm, but still conscious.

"You okay in there? I'll be up in a minute."

Another burst of light, and a young man came climbing through the window. He saw the Mayor beating down her assassin who was (feebly) attempting to counterattack and finish the job. A few seconds later, he was a crumpled heap on the floor.

"I really don't know why anyone hires me anymore, they could just do it themselves. By the way, I'm Marthus. Do you know who's gonna pay me for this job?"

 _Did you enjoy it? I'm planning to continue this, but I'll go back to the main fic for a while at least. Thanks for reading, and leave a review if you liked it!_


	3. Chapter 3

_This is hopefully going to add a bit more to Marthus' character, and what motivates him, what he fears etc. I tried to stay as close to canon as I could in this one. I probably failed in every way possible, but I hope you like it anyways. Thanks to LilyRoseTheDreamer for her OC Ross! (I love him so much he's so cool I had to include him) Please enjoy Bodyguard Chapter 3!_

 _About a month after the events of Bodyguard 2..._

"So did you end up catching the guy?"

Kiwa sat across from Marthus, sipping a purple, bubbling drink from Lord Cryaotic, the bartender. The pair were seated at the end of the bar farthest from the entrance to the Late Night Bar, so as to avoid any unwanted listeners among the hustle and bustle of the bar's customers. The place was packed to the doors, with a line halfway around the block.

"I mean, it took me a while, and he was pretty fast, but he gave himself up once I cornered him. Honestly, I don't like fighting them once I've chased them down. It takes all the thrill out of it. Plus they deserve a trial if they don't fight back."

Kiwa laughed. "You're more of a moonlit-rooftop fight with all the fancy acrobatics kinda guy?"

"You should know by now that I have a flair for the dramatic. It's preferable if there's moonlight, but I'll settle for descending from the clouds like a vengeful angel." Marthus replied in a serious tone, then cracking up and laughing quietly.

Kiwa chuckled and took a final sip of her drink, and said "It's getting late, I think I'll be heading out. It's your turn to pay anyways. Give my respects to Cry, he always makes the best drinks. I'll see you at the Academy on Monday?" She looked at him hopefully, and Marthus gave her a slight nod in return.

He sat there sipping his plain beer for a while. He wasn't sure what was between him and Kiwa. Most people assumed they were in a relationship, but neither of them had ever considered their weekly trips to the Late Night Bar that way. Or at least Marthus hadn't. This was one of those moments where he honestly felt that his long years spent with the monk could have been better spent refining his social skills.He finally stood up, thanked the bartender, paid the bill, and walked out into the chill night air, a slight breeze ruffling his hair.

As he walked back towards his small apartment, his head swirled with thoughts of school, Kiwa, and the weird things that popped into his head when he was alone after drinking maybe a little more than was advisable. In this state, it wasn't surprising that he didn't hear the three men sneaking up behind him. He didn't have his sword, and he seemed tired and drunk. An easy target. The men followed Marthus into an alley, a regular shortcut he used nearly every day. The quiet _snick_ of a blade opening, the clatter of running feet on cobblestones, and then a shout.

==O==

Marthus took the first hit. The first man, skinny but strong for his size, clubbed him on the arm. The only reason it wasn't his head was because Marthus had heard the clatter of cobbles and stepped aside to let through what in his mind was a pedestrian, desperately trying to get somewhere. He was wrong, and his arm went numb below the elbow because of it. He shouted in pain, then whirled, his tired and alcohol-dampened brain trying to make sense of what was happening. He put up his fists, but his impromptu guard was quickly battered out of the way by the second man, bulky and surprisingly fast. Marthus took the second hit to the jaw. They all wore scarves over the bottom of their faces, presumably to prevent identification. The third man closed in with a knife, but his brain registered too late the electric blue glow coming from Marthus' palm.

Marthus' open hand struck the man full across the face. The man fell to the street howling, his hands clutching his cheek and writhing from the lightning coursing through him. His knife skittered away across the cobbles. The other two men stepped back quickly. The smaller man seemed like he was about to run away. The large man was obviously not very quick on the uptake. He ran straight at Marthus, only to receive a blast of flame that threw him to the ground, his clothes in flames. The small man turned to run, but Marthus held up his hand. _Wait! Not right no-_ He felt the familiar presence of the god push into his mind.

 **You have attempted murder against me. To attack me is a crime, and thus I dispense punishment of death.**

"No no no! Please! I was hired-d-d to doooo iiiit!" The man broke down, dropped to his knees, and began sobbing. "I have kids! A family! We needed the money!"

 **The sentence stands.**

 _No! This man is innocent, or at least deserves a trial!_ **Be that as it may Marthus, I am the supreme law, and I pass judgement in my court.** The god raised up Marthus' hand, and the man was pulled towards him by bands of wind. There was a brief flash, and then the alley was still.

==O==

 _A week later…_

"Go away. I don't feel like talking." Marthus sat at the counter of the Late Night Bar, drowning his sorrows in fruity cocktails. Most of the waiters had been giving him a wide berth, after Snake was snapped at when he tried to offer the bodyguard some snacks. Cry just silently walked over once in a while and refilled his drink. Kiwa had just arrived to attempt to get him out of drink and into sobriety.

"Come on Marthus. You've gotta stop drinking! Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Seriously, I'm going to drag you out of here if you don't come with me."

"Noooooooooo! Wanna stay here with fruity drinkys!"

Kiwa grabbed him and started hauling him out. He wailed and moaned the whole way. Snake and some of the bartenders joined in the hauling. Snake mouthed a silent "thank you" as Kiwa called over a coach to take Marthus back to his small apartment.

==O==

 _A half hour and 3 cold glasses of water to the face later…_

"Are you ready to talk now? You made a real fool of yourself tonight." Kiwa was sitting in an armchair and Marthus was laid out on the couch.

"I guess… Thanks for getting me out of there by the way. I'm probably going to head back and apologize tomorrow."

"That's probably a good idea. Now, what's gotten you all worked up?"

"This all started last week after you left the Late Night Bar…" Marthus told the whole story about being attacked by the would-be assassins, and the god's intervention. "I didn't have any control over what I was doing! I didn't want to kill that man!" As he spoke, his voice got louder, and his eyes got wilder. "IT WASN'T ME! IT WAS HIM! I couldn't do anything…" He trailed off and began sobbing. Kiwa reached over and put her arm around his shoulder and patted him on the back.

"I know, I know, I know… You couldn't do anything to stop it… It's not your fault…"

Marthus wiped his nose. "I know. But I should be able to do something about it! It terrifies me… This all started as a kind of game, who I could protect, how many I was up against. But now I'm falling apart and I can't stop… The worst part is that I don't know who the god wants to punish. What if he judged you unworthy? I would have to kill you, or anyone else he decided was unworthy. It scares me, Kiwa."

"You just have to live with it. If you can't get the god out of your head, then you have to find some way to be okay with the god being in your head. Set some guidelines or something."

"It doesn't have to abide by my rules! It could take control of me whenever it wants!" Marthus was standing now. "This is driving me insane!" He stormed out of the room, head swirling with thoughts of justice, power and death.

==O==

 _Later that night…_

"Hello Mr Chair! Is the Lord Pewdiepie in tonight?" Marthus stood at the front door of Lord Pewdiepie's home. Returning here after months without a visit was asking a lot, but he needed Pewds' advice. The butler, however, recognized him and brought him to the dining room without a word. Not much had changed since Marthus had stayed here for a week after being found half dead on the street by the Lord and Lady. They had treated him kindly and offered him advice, he hoped that would be the same now. _Let's hope we're still on good footing._

"Marthus! How've you been bro?"

The Lord Pewdiepie stood up as soon as he walked in, walked over and warmly shook his hand. "Come, come. Sit with us! It's good to see you!" The Lord ushered him to a seat at the table, and Mr Chair took his jacket and sword. Lady Marzia was seated across from him, and greeted him warmly.

"You look like you've been through a lot recently. Sit down, enjoy the meal, and then you can tell us what happened," she said. Mr Chair swept back into the room carrying a tray of dishes.

"If you will give me one more moment sir, I can make something up for your friend Marthus here."

The butler returned in five minutes with a steaming plate of meat and potatoes and other assorted vegetables. Marthus wolfed it down, barely pausing to mutter a thank you before digging in. The Lord and Lady ate with more restraint, but they were obviously hungry as well. Once all the plates had been cleaned, Lord Pewdiepie cleared his throat to speak.

"So, what's troubling you?"

"How did yo-"

"It's written all over your face. You look like a wreck, and I can tell you've been drinking quite a bit of alcohol. You don't become an investigator of any kind without observing things around you."

 _When was the last time I had a bath? Moreover, when did I get a good night's sleep?_ "I suppose you would probably be able to tell pretty easily. I came here for advice. You're familiar with my… condition?"

"Oh, the fact that a pandimensional divine entity is using your body as a vessel here in Victubia, and in doing so giving you near-infinite power? Or was there another problem?"

Marthus grinned. "Nope, you're absolutely right," His expression turned serious again. "I've been engaged in a kind of vigilante business and hiring myself out as a bodyguard. It's gotten me into some scrapes, so Kiwa, my friend from the VMA who's training as a doctor, has gotten some more… hands-on experience with battlefield medicine, but I've mainly been fine."

"So what's the problem?" The Lord seemed confused.

"Lately, the god has been… more controlling. I hear its voice more often, and most recently…" Marthus paused. "It took control of me. Not like impulses or instinct or mind control or anything like that, but actually moving my limbs for me."

"I assume you're concerned about it taking control permanently, or doing something you don't want it to do."

"I killed a man that night it took me over. I didn't want to! He should have gone to court, he probably would have been convicted but it's better than an execution in an alleyway! I just thought, with you being an expert on the paranormal and all, if there was a way I could just get it out of my head…" His voice dropped to a near whisper, "It's driving me mad…"

"I've dealt with the undead, spirits, ghouls, ghosts, wraiths and possessions, but gods… that's a bit out of my field of expertise. You may be better seeing a priest."

"Please. I'm begging you. I need you to get it out of my head!" Marthus was practically on his knees now.

"I suppose I have a few things I could try. Come with me."

==O==

"Stand here." The Lord indicated to a circle with strange symbols drawn around it. It was glowing faintly in the dim light from the oil lamps in the Lord and Lady's basement. Marthus gingerly took a step into the circle, and then brought his other foot over, very carefully so as not to mark the chalked circle.

"If you have no magic aptitude, how can you perform rites and rituals with magic?"

Pewdiepie chuckled. "You pick some things up along the way. Now, hold still and concentrate on where the god's consciousness is in your mind. That tiny corner, try to push it out."

Marthus closed his eyes and concentrated. He heard the Lord chanting in the background, a low susurration of syllables that held no meaning to Marthus, but apparently were an ancient rite for banishing spirits from the body. The Lord had said there would be no guarantee it would work on a god, but if Marthus poured his power into the rite it _might_ just work.

"It's… not… working… is it?"

The Lord stopped abruptly. "No, it's really not. I couldn't sense any change in you, so I doubt this will work even if we keep trying. I did have an idea while we tried this. You just need a job, or someone who will hire you."

"I haven't received any contracts recently. Do you happen to have someone in life-threatening danger hanging around somewhere?" Marthus asked sarcastically.

"No, but I know someone who's also unique. Maybe he'll understand you, at least better than I do. I'll tell him you want to meet him. I hope your conversation is… enlightening."

==O==

 _The next evening…_

Marthus cautiously reentered the bar. The Lord had given him a description, so he knew who he was looking for. That wasn't the worrying part. _I really hope they don't throw me out. I'll apologize to all of them right now, then go see Ross._ He walked over to Cry, who was standing at the bar. The man glanced over at him, and likely saw something in Marthus' face. He said a quiet word to the customer he was serving, then walked over to Marthus.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. I didn't mean to go completely off the rails, I've just been dealing with a lot lately. I can't tell you what it is, but I hope you'll accept my apology."

The bartender's ivory-white mask gazed at him for a moment, then he spoke. "I know better than most what keeping secrets is like. Keep your eyes open, and your mind sharp, and don't put your faith in gods. They tend to let you down. I'll tell the rest of the team you said sorry."

 _Okay, now one more person knows my secret. How'd he find out? Ah, doesn't matter. Let's find this Ross we're looking for._ The young man was easy to spot. He was sitting at a small back table, scanning the room. His green hair was visible through the press of patrons, and Marthus made his way over. Abruptly, he heard a voice in his head. **The Islingr.** _What?_ But the voice was gone. He shook it off and continued over, and sat down.

"I assume you're Marthus? I'm Ross, nice to meet you." The green-haired man extended his hand, and Marthus shook. "Now, let's get down to business. I must admit, I've never done this before, but the Lord called in a favor and I guess I can try and help you out. You've got a god in your head?"

"Yup."

"Well, that's not something I've heard of, but then again no one's heard of a Light Mage. Have you?" He glanced sideways at Marthus.

"Not at all. I'm assuming you can do cool stuff like make swords out of light and things like that?"

"Pretty much. Now, you want this god out of your head. Why? That seems awesome, infinite power."

"At the price of my freedom. I… killed a man recently. He was begging for his life. The god executed him, on his knees. A fireball through the head."

"Ouch."

"Anyways, I didn't do it. The god took control of me. I had nothing, not my body, not my magic. I didn't feel like… me."

"I can relate. Something I've discovered is that I can turn into a ray of light. Pretty cool right? Except for the fact that I don't know who I am when I do it. I'm not human, I'm just light."

"It sounds like what I'm going through. I'm losing myself. Power consumes, I guess."

Ross took a sip of one of the drinks that Cry had brought over during the conversation. Marthus picked his up and took a sip. They sat there for a long while, pondering the situation. "Thank you for your help Ross. I'm feeling better now."

"If you need to talk, I'm available anytime. Here's my address." He scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it across the table to Marthus. Marthus stood, strapped on his sword and shrugged his jacket on. He stepped out into the night, shoulders wider than when he came in. Ross sat at the table, thinking about who, or what, he had just met.

 _This turned in an interesting direction. I started this series thinking it would just be senseless violence but DAMN MY CHARACTERS. THEY HAVE PROBLEMS. Thanks for reading!_


	4. Chapter 4

_An update after a short break. I'll likely be going at least a little bit more off canon as I go further into this series, but I'm not sure how far that will change yet. Returning back to the beginnings of Bodyguard with this one Thanks to Gabbi for her OC Felice! In the meantime, enjoy Bodyguard chapter 4! Warning: Gore._

Marthus stood in the street. _I need a contract, something to take my mind off of this mess. If I don't, I'll probably go crazy. Ross was helpful though, he got me out of that hole. I doubt I would've been able to get out by myself. I'll see if anyone has a contract. Even if it's just for a party or something, I need a job._ He walked back to his home, and had a fitful rest, full of dreams and nightmares.

==O==

The following morning, Marthus awoke, got dressed and cooked himself a quick breakfast of eggs and ham, but had to go without the toast since he burned it too badly. He put on his nicest jacket, black, with a little bit of gold threading around the buttonholes and the lapels. Lastly, he strapped on the sword belt, and checked the blade for sharpness quickly, doing a few quick movements in the small foyer, before he walked out into the warm morning sun.

As he strolled down the street, boots clicking on cobblestones, he thought about where he could go. The Queens would have contacted him if they needed his assistance, he had given them his address after the attempted assassination. He wasn't sure about Mayor Gabbi though. The Queens had paid for that job, so she likely didn't have any contact information. _I'll go see if anything's come up._ He briskly turned, and headed towards Mayor HQ.

==O==

Once he arrived, he was greeted warmly by the Mayor's secretary Felice, who offered to bring Marthus up to meet the Mayor. _I hope I'm not interrupting anything,_ Marthus thought.

As if reading Marthus' thoughts, Felice spoke. "The Mayor isn't very busy today, you picked a good time!" The secretary said, smiling.

"Glad to know I'm not interrupting anything. I'd hate to be sticking my nose into some important meeting."

Felice left Marthus just outside the door to Mayor HQ. Marthus knocked politely, and waited for an answer.

"Come in!" He heard Gabbi's voice emanate through the door, and pushed it open.

He stepped into the room, which was brightly lit by the morning sunlight shining through the uncurtained window. The Mayor herself sat in the chair behind her desk, and a man Marthus thought seemed familiar stood making tea, who turned to have his back to Marthus. _Where have I seen him before?_ The man turned back, and looked at Marthus with shock registered on his face.

"Are you two alright? I suppose you haven't met. Marthus, this is Knight. Knight, this is Marthus."

That's why. "We met, under less… peaceful circumstances." Marthus replied harshly without breaking the other man's gaze.

"You were a good fighter," the man replied, shifting his stance. To someone else it wouldn't look like much, but it was a basic stance for combat. Marthus would already have struck the man down if the Mayor hadn't been nearby. He placed his hand on the pommel of his blade and the staring contest continued.

"Can you both chill out for a second? I'm still the Mayor, and I'm ordering you both to calm down."

Marthus turned away from Knight quickly. He glared at the ground until the Mayor spoke again. "Why are you here?"

Marthus straightened and looked up. "I'm looking for a work contract, but you've obviously already got a security detail," he said, nodding at Knight.

Gabbi laughed. "Oh, Knight? He's just a friend, not hired at all." Her face turned serious though, and she continued, "But you're right, my MODs are all the protection I need. Thanks for saving my life that one time though."

"You're welcome, it was a pleasure. Thank you for your time, miss Mayor." With that, Marthus turned and left the building, walking quickly.

==O==

"So you're out of luck on contracts… Well, I've been called to investigate something, and I'd be happy to have you along if you'd like. Maybe it would give you some insight into this god of yours."

The Lord Pewdiepie and Marthus stood in the front entryway of Pewds' house. Marthus had returned after having no luck with any new contracts. The Lord likely felt sorry for him, so he was offering Marthus a job, at least to occupy his time for a little while.

"I'd love to come along! Where will we be going?"

Pewdie turned and smiled grimly. "The Ekard Mountains, where the dragons live." He turned back and walked upstairs.

"Didn't they go extinct?" Marthus called after him. _Please tell me they went extinct..._

==O==

"Okay, I've got two amulets that are supposed to protect from dragon fire, but they're not surefire. Heh heh, see what I did there? Anyways, you still need to avoid their claws and teeth. A blow from one will likely snap you right in half." It was a day since Pewdiepie had hired Marthus, and they were preparing to head to the Ekard Mountains to investigate reports of dragon sightings.

"This is all cautionary though, right? The locals might just be hallucinating these things…" Marthus had asked the god what happened to the dragons. The only reply had been images of terrible beasts, the smell of smoke and blood, and the final image of a huge skeleton. It wasn't encouraging.

"Right, but it pays to be cautious. In this business you don't live long if you don't prepare for all the possible instances. I'll be bringing my recorder, and a few other special concoctions, and of course a gun."

"Well, I've always got my sword. I don't have much else to bring." Marthus replied.

"That's fine, just don't try and chop it's head off or something. Those things only work in stories, you'll likely be better off with your magic."

With that, they stepped outside and into a waiting coach. The coach rattled through the cobbled streets for a while, but then the rattling changed to a dull thudding as the cobbles changed to dirt paths. Marthus and the Lord both dozed off for a while, lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the coach.

"Wake up. We're here."

==O==

The pair stood at the beginning of a small rocky path that led up into the looming mountains that filled his immediate vision. Marthus had his sword drawn, and the Lord Pewdiepie had already set the recorder to start running.

"Welcome to this episode of Fridays with Pewdiepie. Today my friend Marthus and I are hunting down a possibility of a dragon in the Ekard Mountains. They're supposed to be extinct, but honestly I'd rather not get burned. More updates to follow."

"So now what?"

"The sightings were reported about a quarter of a mile into the mountains from here. The locals say it's been eating livestock and setting things on fire."

"I'd say there's a pretty good chance this thing is real," Marthus said.

"I really hope not…"

The pair strode into the mountains, walking at a brisk pace. The ground became more rocky, shifting from loose dirt to pebbles and finally boulders. Marthus began to notice gouges in the stone and scorch marks on the cliff faces on the sides of the narrow, winding path.

"What are we really looking for?"

"A cave, likely with some kind of hoard stashed inside. Look for loose gold, jewels or other precious metals. We've gotta be getting close."

 _This was not what I had in mind when I said I wanted a job._ Marthus readied his sword, tense and ready for action. Scritch. A sound. Marthus whirled and raised his blade to strike in the same movement, while the Lord Pewdiepie cocked his gun and aimed it with a steady hand. There was nothing there but a fresh gouge in the stone.

"How big did the locals say this dragon was?"

"Oh, the size of three horses or something like that."

"Great…"

Marthus took another step backwards, and slipped on a loose pebble. He fell on his back, sprawling up against a large boulder. Looking down to see what had tripped him, he saw a glint of gold. Crawling over, he snatched up the coin, inspecting it. The paranormal investigator hustled over as soon as he saw what Marthus had found.

"This is an old coin, likely from before the Barr era. I'd guess we're pretty close to our hoard."

The Lord gave Marthus a hand up, and the pair continued around a curve in the path. They were greeted with the sight of a huge cave entrance, marred with claw marks and burns, with piles of gold around the opening.

"I'd say we've found our hoard."

==O==

They made their way slowly down the path, getting closer to the mouth of the cave. Marthus was sweating. _Why am I like this? I can totally handle this giant, fire-breathing-hot-enough-to-melt-stone, razor-sharp clawed killer lizard. Actually if I put it like that…_ "Hey Pewdie? Do you still have those dragon-fire resistant amulets? Now might be a good time."

The Lord chuckled, "Nervous, my friend? No problem, I would be too."

The blue-coated man passed an amulet over to Marthus, who quickly slipped it around his neck before continuing forward. The scratch of claws behind them was the only warning they got before the blast of air from the dragon's wings sent them tumbling down the incline towards the cave.

"I sssseeee you have been ssssneaking around. I wonder what you could have been looking for?"

The pair of humans turned and faced the dragon. It was huge, red scales glittering in the afternoon sunlight. In any other circumstances, it would have been a beautiful sight, but for the huge white talons and teeth that glistened in the sun. The dragon's eyes were green orbs, full of deeper knowledge and a kind of power Marthus hadn't seen in his life. **Do not let it's beauty seduce you, nor it's speak control you. Be on your guard, Marthus.** The Lord cocked his gun, and reached into his pocket for something else. Marthus raised his sword, not quite ready to strike, but able to do so at a moment's notice.

"Sssso. Why have mortal men come here again, this place of cleansssed fire and blood. Have you come to hunt, to kill me?" The dragon slithered over the rocks, moving much too gracefully, beautifully, for a creature of it's size, Marthus thought. He tried to raise his sword to strike, but found himself mesmerized. The Lord seemed to be having the same problem.

"If sssso, you will be disssssappointed. I do not die eassssy, though I sssenssse ssssomething in one of you…" The dragon recoiled, crimson snout pulling back and baring it's teeth. "The Lightbringer!"

Marthus felt the familiar presence push into his mind. _No! I can take care of this myself! I don't want you in my head._ **You are not ready to deal with a silver-tongued snake such as this. Let me handle this.**

 **Who be you, firedrake?**

"Aberossssss, the Burner of Men, old one. You sssshould recognize me."

 **It's beginning to return to me.** Marthus' body was beginning to move, walking closer to the red lizard. **Why have you returned, and how? Your kind were killed here generations ago.**

"Oh, I have waysssssss. Your blade hasss grown dull here, Lord of Light."

 **It is still sharp enough to cut the words from your mouth, Silvertongue.**

Aberos hissed. Marthus and the dragon began to circle one another. _Give control back to me! I can handle it from here!_ **Aberos will put you under his thrall as soon as I let go of your mind, but I can give you your body.** _Then give it to me!_ Marthus stumbled as his legs returned to his control.

"A little sssslip up? Maybe you are not as ssssure as you thought…" Aberos hissed and continued to circle.

The Lord was still stuck in place, fear building in his eyes. Marthus stepped back and whipped around, pushing Pewdiepie down into the cave, away from harm. The second he turned however, a searing blast of heat hit him in the back, but the flames flowed around him, dissipating their deadly warmth against the stones, in some places making it glow cherry red. The Lord Pewdiepie seemed to snap out of his trance as he fell backwards into the cave.

"Marthus, I'll get back as soon as possible! Hang onnnnn!" The Lord's voice trailed off as he tumbled deeper into the cave.

With that out of the way, Marthus turned to face the dragon. Aberos had come closer, but seemed to be still registering the fact that Marthus was not a small smoking spot on the rock face in front of him.

"Well? Bring it on, you scaly bastard!"

Aberos roared, and launched himself at Marthus. Marthus replied with a primal cry of his own, rage filling his throat and bursting out into an anger-filled roar. Anger at the god, for taking control, anger at himself for not being wary of the dragon's thrall, and anger at the dragon for trying to kill him. They met in midair, talon against steel. Marthus suffered a cut on his thigh, but his own strike bounced off Aberos' scales. _How am I supposed to kill this thing?!_ He landed, grimacing from the pain on his leg. The pants were ripped, and although he was sheeting blood down his leg, the cut didn't seem to be all that deep.

Aberos wasn't waiting for Marthus to recover however, and the dragon launched himself at Marthus with the fury of an inferno. Marthus was barely able to fend off the blows, while the dragon didn't relent at all. _He's going to wear me down, and then I'm going to die,_ Marthus realized. His break in concentration allowed the dragon to knock him to the ground. The dragon pulled his snout close to Marthus' face, hot breath heavy with the stench of death, while his claws held Marthus' arms to the ground.

"You may be the chossssen of the Lightbringer, but you sssshare none of hiss sssstrength. Prepare to die, warri-"

The crack of a pistol cut Aberos off. The dragon jerked back, blood pouring from its left eye, the once green orb now nonexistent, replaced by a gout of blood.

"Miss me?" The familiar blue-coated form of Lord Pewdiepie was standing at the cave mouth, smoke coming from the mouth of his shining revolver.

"Oh hell yes."

The dragon roared in rage and pain, blood continuing to sheet out of it's empty eye socket as it prepared to charge and end the pair where they stood. Marthus held his blade off to the side, inviting the attack. Pewdiepie held his recorder in one hand, muttering, while his two eyes met the single-orbed gaze of the dragon. **You will want… this.** Marthus sword glowed with a slight blueish light. **This will allow you to pierce it's scales. I have done the same for your friend's bullets. Good luck, I can do no more.** _Thanks for your help, but I'm still mad you got into my head._ **Understood.**

"You are not leaving thissss place alive!"

The dragon leaped into the air, wings unfurling, their iridescent beauty mesmerizing and deadly at the same time. All of it's claws gleamed in the dying sun, and it dove towards the pair. As Marthus prepared to meet the dragon, he heard the repeating pistol crack of Pewds' pistol next to him. The bullets penetrated, one hitting Aberos in the shoulder and creating a fresh spray of blood, but the dragon kept coming, heedless of the bullets ripping through it, focused only on the blue-coated man and the sword-wielding warrior next to him.

Marthus' first strike was parried by the dragon's talons, and he was grazed by one of the hind claws, nearly disemboweling him, but instead giving him a slight cut from groin to chest. He struck back, blade looping overhead in a flash of steel, and cut down on the paw that had hit him. The dragon tried to bat it away, expecting the blade to bounce off, but lost it's paw as Marthus' blade cut through the scales as easily as air. Aberos leaped back, roaring in pain, and seemingly from far away Pewds yelled he was reloading.

"You will pay for that, Lightbringer. I will tear you limb from limb!"

The dragon, now in a blood-rage, launched itself at Marthus faster than the eye could follow. It grabbed him, using it's tail and remaining claws to grasp him while it's maw opened, showing off it's rows of sharp teeth. Marthus struggled, but only had one hand free.

"Now you die, warrior."

Marthus thrust upwards. His sword impaled both the dragon's upper and lower jaws, staining Marthus' hand with burning hot drops of blood. Aberos' grip weakened, and the young man fell from it's grasp, clutching his side where a claw had stabbed him. Aberos screeched and twisted, falling down dead at Marthus' feet, the fire in his green eye gone out.

"Damn, I've never seen anyone pull off something like that. You're good." Pewdiepie walked over to Marthus and took the young man's un-bloodied arm over his shoulder. "Get your sword back, and then we should get out of here. I'll tell the locals what happened."

"Thanks. I would have died if you hadn't shot Aberos' eye out earlier."

"No problem, thanks for not leaving me a hypnotized zombie."

Marthus chuckled, and the pair walked out of the mountains, Marthus limping slightly from his earlier leg wound, as the sun set and the dragon's corpse dissolved into ash and embers.

 _y_ o _u h_ a _v_ e _d_ o _n_ e _w_ e _l_ l, _p_ u _p_ p _e_ t.

==O==

"Catch!"

Marthus whirled and caught the bag of jingling metal that the Lord had tossed at him. "I can't accept payment, you did most of the work! I mean, you found out about all of it, and you knew everything about stuff…"

"Take it for hazard pay. You deserve it. Besides, it's from the hoard, so no one will miss it. And I didn't know everything, I forgot about the dragon hypnosis. They're more dangerous with their tongues and looks than I remembered…" The Lord replied.

"Thanks! Call me if you need any help with another case!"

"I will. Take care, Marthus."

"Take care, Pewdie."

 **You have done well, Marthus, but be on your guard. There is trouble afoot, and it seems to have you as it's target. Keep your sword sharp and your eyes open.** _GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

 _How'd you guys enjoy this one? I wanted to explore the dragons more, apologies if I went off canon, I didn't intend to. I'll be getting the next few chapters out ASAP. Leave a review if you liked it!_


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm back! Didja miss me? I missed you guys, but that's besides the point. This series continues to be a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy this newest chapter. Thanks to LilyRoseTheDreamer for letting me reference Ross. I'll likely be going more into my own independent ideas as this gets nearer to conclusion, but I'm hoping you guys still enjoy! Warning: Gore._

Yes. This time, there would be no mistake. No meddling bodyguard. Just him, Reiner, just him, and the knife. Oh yes, the beautiful knife. And the sweet blood it had tasted. His friends, no, his companions, they were gone. Jacobs, Navir, Carre. All gone. But they had done it right. He made it through, oh yes, he had made it through hell and now he was going to avenge them.

The man limped through the darkened hallways, blood leaving an obvious trail behind his leg. The crimson droplets splashed the floor, and seemed like red stars on a gray sky. A young guard approached him at one point asking his business, but the knife had tasted blood already that night, and seemed to sing as it cut the young man's throat. The man dropped to the floor, gurgling, and Reiner stepped over the body, giggling.

It wouldn't be far now, the chambers. The site of his sweet vengeance, sweeter than blood. But blood would be spilled. Reiner stumbled, but continued onward, face set in a grin, while his knife hung at his side. Olivia. He was doing this for Olivia. The bitch Queens had taken her away from him. They were going to pay for that, and all the other lives they had ruined. Reiner upped his pace, limping faster, blood still dripping from his leg. The doors were right there, and there was a man there, but his back was turned. A quick cut, and then for the Queens. Oh yes, their sweet blood would spill toni-

 **Did you think we would let it be this easy? I know who you are, Reiner. You tried to kill the Queens once before. You tried to kill the Mayor once before. You failed, because of me. What makes you think this time will be any different?**

The man turned. His eyes were golden. They shone like the sun. Oh, the beautiful sun. But the light must be extinguished. Reiner charged.

==O==

Marthus stood calmly in the face of this madman, but in his head there was a battle of wills. **This man tried to kill your sovereign! He must die!** _No, we need him for the information. Do not attempt to take over my body again, Colossus. You are driving me mad!_ **If I think it is necessary, I will do so. Watch your step, avatar. You do not tussle with gods.** The presence withdrew to a pinpoint.

"Bring it on."

The man surprised Marthus by cutting directly at him, but then dodging around him, pushing open the door to the Queens' chambers. Marthus could see with the dim light that Minx and Krism were both asleep under the covers. Reiner put on a burst of speed, appearing at the bedside in a heartbeat. The knife was raised, but melted, flowing down the man's arm and onto the floor. Reiner opted for the more direct approach, going straight for a stranglehold on Minx. The Queen awoke, thrashing.

Krism sat up quickly, and summoned a small knife made of red spirits, but her slashes were slow, and Reiner was dragging Minx out of the bed. Marthus leaped through the doorway, using a burst of air. Krism was still tangled in the covers, while Minx's face was turning purple. The warrior sage's words came to the forefront of Marthus' mind. _If no other option is there, throw your weapon._ The god's presence surged into his mind, slowing time to a crawl. Marthus felt his arm come up and launch the blade. For a dreadful moment, it looked like it would hit the Queen, but the steel flew true. Reiner gagged on the steel in his windpipe, and fell to the floor, releasing the Queen, who began coughing.

Krism ran to her wife's side, while Marthus hustled over to Reiner. _Godsdammit! We could have taken him alive!_ **He deserved death,** the god replied simply. Marthus drew the blade out of Reiner's throat, flicking the blood off of the blade.

"They got in through the service entrance, slaughtered the few guards there. We shouldn't have let our guard down after the previous incidents. There were sixteen in total, and this man," he kicked Reiner's corpse for emphasis, "Was one of the ringleaders. The god took control of my mind, I'm sorry for not being able to capture him alive."

"No, you did enough by keeping me alive. And now I will have the guards posted outside our chambers. You may go." The purple-haired ruler was helped to her feet by Krism, who led her wife back to bed.

==O==

 _A few days later…_

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD! You can see everything, _everything_ , that goes through my mind, and I can _feel_ you doing it!" Marthus giggled, "But that's alright, because you're a god, and you can do whatever you want! It doesn't matter if they're guilty or innocent, you dispense your own justice through me." Marthus laughed, and then stood up in the living room of his small apartment. "BUT I'M SICK OF IT!"

Marthus was standing now, next to the couch he had been sitting on. _I'm going mad, aren't I?_ He paced the room, occasionally giggling. He couldn't stop it, life just seemed hilarious. Everyone doing all the things they thought were important, but nothing really mattered. Not to him. Hah.

 **You wish me gone.**

Marthus turned, and the god was standing there, armor and all. The shield and sword glowed, and green light poured through the slits in the horned helmet. "Oh hell yes. I've never really had a choice in life, have I? You've been with me since before I was born!"

 **You were chosen for something higher than you are.**

"Cut the bullshit, I'm tired of hearing this holier-than-thou talk. Hah, I just made a joke. Do you even understand humor, you emotionless monster?"

 **I AM NOT WITHOUT EMOTION! YOU HAVE NOT LIVED FOR MILLENNIA, WATCHING ONES YOU LOVE LIVE AND DIE WHILE YOU STAND BY! I HAVE HUNDREDS OF WORLDS THAT I WATCH OVER, AND I SEE EVERY DEATH, EVERY TRAGEDY THAT EXISTS IN THOSE PLACES!** The figure had grown, horns nearly brushing the ceiling of the apartment. **You think I do not know loss, or love, or hate, or happiness. Once, I knew them better. I loved, and then I lost, and then I hated myself for it, but found happiness in the end, or at least an acceptance.**

Marthus stepped back, still in shock from the outburst. "That still gives you no right to judge! I'm not your policeman!"

 **You truly wish to know your purpose? Fine.**

The god shrank back down. He walked over to the sofa and sat, and motioned with a gauntleted hand for Marthus to follow suit. As soon as Marthus sat, the apartment faded, and a white landscape surrounded them.

 **This began eons ago, when the worlds began. The Archons built the worlds-**

Marthus interrupted, "Who built this world?"

 **You have met it's creator. This one is a special case. If you are wondering, no, I did not create it. But the creator is a kind of… double. She exists both in this world and outside. Mayor Gabbi I believe?**

Marthus' jaw dropped. "The _Mayor_ created this universe!? How is that possible?"

 **Not precisely. Her other self, the Creator self, made it. But she exists in this world. This is besides the point and you obviously do not understand the concept, so we will return to my story.** Marthus shook off his surprise, and prepared to listen again.

 **The Archons also created us, the Elder Gods. The Midnight Queen, The Horned God, Cthulhu, Hades, The Stargazer, and of course, the Colossus, yours truly.** Images of huge figures, shimmering with power, floated in the air. **We were granted worlds to oversee, preventing them from destroying themselves. Each of us did it our own way.** Marthus saw huge wolves standing against bandits, a moonbeam striking down a demon. **I created the Islingrnen. In the old tongue it means Lightbringers. They were an army five hundred thousand strong, each man or woman a fighter worth a thousand others.**

Marthus saw a huge fortress crumbling under an onslaught of fighters. As he watched, the view changed, zooming in. A woman launched arrows at blinding speed, shooting out the eyes of her opponents. A huge man wielding a warhammer raised the weapon, and all the Islingrnen took cover. The man brought it down, and the castle shook, crumbling it's supports. **There were two Islingr, the generals of the army. One was myself, and one was a mortal man, but one with incredible powers of light**. A man stood on a mountain, with demons crawling up the sides, but each combatant was struck down by a spear of light.

 **But I was forced to disband when my Islingrnen suffered a great defeat at the hands of one of my rivals, the Stargazer.** A huge field, covered in bodies of all shapes and sizes. **You represent me, since I cannot enter the worlds with the same power I used to. You are one of the Islingr, and you have met the other.**

Marthus' brain pulled the pieces together, and his jaw dropped again. " _Ross_ is an Islingr!?" The green-haired man had seemed so… so… normal. Apart from his unique light powers… "He's the mortal general?"

 **Yes.**

"Nononono! This isn't happening. You're trying to trick me into letting you stay in my head. No. You leave. I am going _insane_ , Colossus."

 **I had hoped it would not come to this. Fine then, a fight for control. You win, I leave you and find another Islingr. I win, you obey my command.**

"Fine."

The pair stood, and began circling around the couch that appeared to just sit on whiteness. There was light, but no direct source. The god shifted into a more stable stance, and readied his shield. Marthus raised his sword.

"Are we doing this or what?"

 **We are doing this.**

==O==

The first blows were lightning fast, and hit with the force of tsunamis. Marthus and the god were actually quite evenly matched. The god must have been holding back, or Marthus would have been incinerated on the spot. The god wielded a two-handed broadsword with one gauntleted fist, swinging it like it was nothing, while Marthus was struggling to fend off the heavy blows with his one-and-a-half-hand sword. He was surprised the steel was holding off the celestial metal. The cuts and slices rattled and rang off each other like a blacksmith's workshop in full swing.

The Colossus stepped back momentarily, and the pair circled again, wary as cats. Marthus took the advantage, using a blast of flame to disorient the god and following the fireball with a leap, assisted by a blast of wind. He pushed away at the last moment, slicing downwards at the Colossus' head. He stopped just a hairsbreadth away from the helmet. The god seemed surprised. Then he punched Marthus in the stomach. The young man flew like a ragdoll, then hit the floor and crumpled.

 **You win.**

Marthus looked up. "Are you serious? Why did you punch me then?"

 **To show you that I was being merciful. Count yourself lucky that I like you Marthus, or that punch would have destroyed you. Now, be healed.**

The pain faded. "Thanks."

 **And now, I strip you of your title. Marthus, you are no longer Islingr.** A glow flowed out of Marthus, leaving him feeling drained. He felt for the presence in his mind, but it was not there.

"Is that it?"

 **Yes. This is your final chance to take back your powers.**

"No, I don't think I will. Good luck, Colossus."

 **Good luck, Marthus.**

And just like that, it was over. Marthus was back in his apartment, couch and everything intact. Marthus walked over to the icebox to pull out something to eat, then snapped his fingers to summon a flame at the stove. Nothing happened. He attempted to lift the box of eggs with wing. Nothing happened.

"Godsdammit."

Marthus was stripped of his powers. He walked over to the couch, deflated. _Now what?! I can't continue training at the VMA, since my magic is gone._ He sat, thinking. _I've lost a lot of my abilities now, I only have my swordsmanship._ _And who better to ask than him…_ Marthus walked into his bedroom and began packing.

==O==

A few hours later, he was on a coach heading to the Knota Mountains. The footpath heading up into the mountains was long, but he knew where he was heading. The monastery was close. _What if he's dead? He was an old man when I knew him before, and he had no one to take care of him_. But somehow, Marthus doubted the old sage was dead.

After hiking on the trails that he had known so well, he came to the gates of the old monastery. After knocking with the large iron knocker, he sat down to wait. It was only a minute or so before the Sage opened the huge doors. Interestingly, he looked like he had been expecting Marthus.

"I had a feeling you would come to talk. Come in, please."

Marthus stepped inside. The place looked just like he had left it. Weeds and grass grew between the cracked cobblestones. The Sage was leading him towards the building where Marthus had lived during his many years at the monastery. _And there's the well, and the lawn where I used to practice sword forms…_ Marthus experienced a flood of memories as he walked, the Sage occasionally glancing back.

Eventually, they entered the small building where Marthus had stayed. The small iron kettle was already whistling for tea, and the Sage had brought out the fine teacups that had belonged to the monastery's abbot. The old man steeped the tea and poured a glass for himself and Marthus.

"Now, what is troubling you?" The old man's kind eyes gazed at Marthus.

"You remember the god in my head? Well, I kicked him out, sort of."

The man had a look of shock on his face. "You did not take the position of Islingr? Why?"

"How do you know that name?"

The Sage sighed. "You may have suspected this, but I am not a regular man. I was once an Islingrnen as well, and when most of my comrades, including our general fell to the Stargazer's forces, I was appointed to train a new Islingr by the Colossus. You know what happened from there." The man's face was sad, as if the truth had hurt him.

"I did always wonder why you never asked about where my powers came from, but that was because you already knew, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, ever since you appeared on my doorstep. But now, my work has gone in vain. You were supposed to be the one to stand against the Stargazer's plots if he ever returned, but now we have only one Islingr, the one you know as Ross."

"Does he know he is an Islingr?"

"No, the Colossus never instructed me to tell him. But listen, you _must_ gain your title back, else this world may fall."

"The Colossus told me that Gabbi created this world. Can't she save it if she wants?"

"The part of her that is in this world is not aware it can shape the world, or the part in Victubia may not be able to change anything anyways. This creates a problem, since the other part will not be able to exert influence on the world. The Colossus and other gods rely on avatars or heroes to do the work for them, because it takes too much power to reshape a world without problems. Besides, only Gabbi could do so."

"Well, I will consider your advice. Thank you for the tea, but I have one last stop to make before I return to the Capital."

==O==

The flowers were still there. Grass had begun to grow over the dirt. The burned out husks of buildings looked like turtle shells, just waiting for the living creature inside to come out. But nothing would. Marthus knelt by the two graves, and sat for a while.

"What am I going to do?"

The villagers gave no answer. He walked down the mountain a ways, and picked more flowers. One was placed on each of the graves. He sat and looked at his work for a while, full of uncertainty. And then it hit him, like a thunderbolt. He stood, heaving himself to his feet, and then set off at a brisk pace, heading down the mountain, back towards the Capital.

 _Well, this one went more off canon, but it was still quite enjoyable to write. I hope you enjoyed it as well. More to come!_


	6. Chapter 6

_For those wondering, this series will likely be shorter than Marthus, but I may add a second arc in future. I'll possibly be going on a hiatus after I finish this fic, simply to come up with more ideas and to start work on some of my independent projects. Thanks to LilyRoseTheDreamer for her OC Ross! In the meantime, I will continue both this fic and Echoes, and I hope you enjoy both!_

 _Y_ o _u_ m _u_ s _t_ _s_ t _o_ p _t_ h _i_ s _n_ e _w_ I _s_ l _i_ n _g_ r, _b_ e _f_ o _r_ e _h_ e _b_ e _c_ o _m_ e _s_ a _w_ a _r_ e _o_ f _h_ i _s_ p _u_ r _p_ o _s_ e, A voice cold as deepest space said.

We understand. You should not have left it to your other… resources to deal with this problem, replied a voice colder than the grave.

 _O_ n _l_ y _t_ h _r_ e _e_?

There are more beyond the Veil, but you said you only needed enough to get the job done. Three will suffice.

 _I_ f _y_ o _u_ a _r_ e _s_ u _r_ e.

Yes. We will find you again when it is done.

 _D_ o _n_ o _t_ f _a_ i _l_ l _i_ k _e_ t _h_ e _o_ t _h_ e _r_ s. _I_ d _r_ o _v_ e _t_ h _e_ i _r_ l _e_ a _d_ e _r_ m _a_ d.

We do not fear madness, the voices seemed to scoff.

 _D_ i _d_ I _s_ a _y_ y _o_ u _r_ p _u_ n _i_ s _h_ m _e_ n _t_ w _o_ u _l_ d _b_ e _s_ o _k_ i _n_ d?

==O==

Marthus rode at a healthy trot on horseback through the countryside surrounding the Capital. He had hiked out of the mountains over the course of the last day, after visiting the old Sage in the Monastery. _If the Sage was right, and the Colossus hasn't chosen a new Islingr… That means that anyone who wanted to invade this world could do so. I have to tell Ross what's going on._ He spurred the horse on to a gallop, face set in grim determination. The sun was low in the sky, but he might make it before sunset.

The rhythm of the hooves on the road, drumming away, lulled him into a state of near-sleep. It was likely the reason that he didn't notice the horse trotting into the stables of a small house on the outskirts of the city. The owner found him, a young man fast asleep on a horse he didn't recognize, and naturally threw him out.

 _That could have gone better._ "Sir, can you help me-"

The door closed in his face. He trudged away down the road towards the Capital, the sunset tinging the sky with splashes of purple and orange. He glanced up as he walked down the road. Victubia really was a beautiful place. Marthus was suddenly struck with what he had been doing with his life up to this point. _I was protecting people from things that they couldn't protect themselves from. But now that I've given that up, what am I? That's all I knew how to do._

"I need to get myself an actual job." Marthus said out loud, "But first, Ross."

Marthus upped his pace from a slow trudging to a jog, heading into the city. He still had the paper with Ross' address, but it was in his apartment. He needed to find Ross as soon as possible. It was likely that the green-haired man was home, and if he wasn't, Marthus would wait.

About fifteen minutes later, Marthus had reached his apartment. He unlocked the door and went inside, quickly grabbing the slip of paper off his bedside table and walking back out the door in a hurry. He hustled down the nearly empty streets, heading for Ross' home. Once he reached the door, he reached out to knock, but the door opened, and Ross nearly barged into Marthus as he stepped through.

"Whoa there! What's the matter, Marthus?"

"I think it's best if I tell you inside, unless you were headed somewhere important?"

"I was just heading out for a quick drink. Maybe we should talk there?" Ross looked at Marthus questioningly.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Besides, I have a feeling that the owner will overlook our conversation, like he did last time…" Marthus replied, remembering Cry's discretion at their last meeting.

With that, Ross stepped around Marthus and the pair headed away towards the Late Night Bar. After navigating the crowds at the entrance by catching Cry's eye through the doorway, they were led to a back booth, away from most of the noise. Marthus unstrapped his sword and leaned it against the back wall. Ross sat down across from him, looked at him quizzically, and waited for Marthus to explain.

"I'll start by saying that he, the Colossus I mean, isn't in my head anymore. We're able to speak completely freely."

"How did you manage to get him out?"

"I'll get to that…"

And Marthus laid it all out, how he and Ross were supposed to be generals of an ancient army that would be reborn to stop the Stargazer's forces from destroying Victubia. Ross just listened intently, only pausing to take a sip of the drink that Cry had brought over after they sat down. Marthus finished after a while, trailing off.

"So now I have no powers, and the Stargazer will likely be moving on this world very soon. I have no idea what to do, Ross. And it's all my fault."

"Well…"

"What is it? Do you not believe me?"

"Everything that you've told me would be considered insane by anyone… except me. I believe you, Marthus. All my life, I've been trying to figure out why I had these powers, why I was unique. Thank you, for telling me why." Ross locked gazes with Marthus, and Marthus could see that he meant every word he said.

"But now what do we do? I've lost my powers, so you're the only Islingr left, and the Stargazer is coming!"

"It seems pretty simple to me. We get your powers back, and we fight back." Ross stood up. He looked back at Marthus, who stared in puzzlement.

"But still… How?"

Ross simply walked away, leaving Marthus to follow. The confused ex-bodyguard stood, and followed hesitantly. The pair walked out into the twilight, stars glimmering overhead.

==O==

 _N_ o _w_ , f _o_ r _y_ o _u_. I _r_ e _q_ u _i_ r _e_ t _h_ e _s_ e _t_ w _o_ m _a_ g _i_ _t_ o _b_ e _e_ l _i_ m _i_ n _a_ t _e_ d, _a_ l _o_ n _g_ w _i_ t _h_ a _f_ e _w_ n _o_ t _a_ b _l_ e _a_ ll _i_ e _s._ The voice had an edge now, like a comet cutting across the sky.

Two hooded figures stood in a dark room. One stepped forward to speak. "We can deal with that easily. You know we are the best. But what about your other…" The figure shuddered. "Friends?"

 _T_ h _e_ y _h_ a _v_ e _b_ e _e_ n _r_ e _a_ s _s_ i _g_ n _e_ d. _D_ o _n_ o _t_ u _n_ d _e_ r _e_ s _t_ i _m_ a _t_ e _y_ o _u_ r _t_ a _r_ g _e_ t _s_. _I_ t _w_ o _u_ l _d_ c _o_ s _t_ y _o_ u _d_ e _a_ r _l_ y. The voice replied.

"We don't make mistakes. Besides, how hard can they be, up against serpent steel?"

==O==

"First, we find some friends. Do you know where Kiwa lives?"

"Uhhhhh… Yeah? Why?"

"We need to get as many people with us as we can, if we're going to fight a god. That makes sense, right? Besides, Kiwa is training in battlefield medicine and wind magic. That's going to be valuable."

At this point, Marthus snapped out of his confusion and panic. Ross was calming him down, just by planning everything out down to the details in a steady voice. "Okay. I'm beginning to understand. Then we'll also need the Lord. He can provide some of the most valuable information and gear for this."

Marthus was so lost in his head that he didn't notice Ross looking pointedly at him. The green-haired man cleared his throat and continued, "And _you_ , my friend, need to get a god's favor back."

"Let's do the other stuff first."

Now with a sense of what they were doing, Marthus set out with a renewed sense of determination. He drew himself up for a second, puffing out his chest, before realizing: _I look ridiculous._ He gave Ross a sidelong glance. His friend was stifling laughter. _Well then. Let's get to work, shall we, Marthus?_ He strode off in the direction of Kiwa's house, partly out of haste and partly out of embarrassment. He was glad Ross couldn't see his face, but he could feel the heat of a blush spreading across his face.

The pair made their way through the lamp-lined streets, boots clicking on the cobbles. Marthus stopped in front of a non-descript building, and used the iron knocker to rap out a short rhythm. It took about thirty seconds for the wind mage to answer the door, and when the door did open, Kiwa was revealed in all her sleepy, annoyed glory.

"Marthus! Whyyyyyyy?! I was sleeping… And who's this? Oh, fine. Just come in."

They were ushered through the door, among complaints from the owner of the house. Kiwa's black and red-striped hair was mussed up, and she had gone to sleep in her clothes. Ross and Marthus followed Kiwa into the kitchen, where she pulled out a teapot and a coffeepot.

"Which one?"

Marthus and Ross were startled by the sudden question after tuning out the many complaints of being woken up at ungodly hours (even though it was only about seven at night) Marthus replied first, "I guess I'll have tea, with a little honey, please."

Ross recovered quickly as well, "I'll have coffee please."

Kiwa put both pots on to boil, walked over to a cabinet, and pulled out the honey and sugar, placing them on the table. She then walked over and sat down across from Ross and Marthus, who were feeling just a little uncomfortable at this point.

"Okay, so you woke me up and I'm grumpy. Now what did you want to tell me? Well?" Kiwa snapped.

"Ummm, you first, Marthus."

Marthus sighed. _We should have waited till tomorrow morning_ …"As you know, up until recently, I had a god inside my head, able to control my actions and lend me-"

"Up until recently?" Kiwa interrupted.

"I'll get to that…"

Marthus proceeded to tell the entire story, beginning to end. Kiwa took it with a straight face, until he got to the part about needing allies to help stop the Stargazer's forces. Here he got a frown, but Kiwa waited until he finished before speaking.

"How are three of us, maybe four or five if we get a few others, going to stop a god and his army?"

"From what we know, the Star-" Marthus was cut off by the sound of a click from the front hall.

Kiwa stared at him for a minute, before he put his finger to his lips and reached for his sword. Ross stood as well, rolling his sleeves up slightly. The Light Magi's palms began to glow. Kiwa tiptoed over to the small rack of knives on the counter, and selected one, which she held with the steady hand of a trained surgeon.

"And here I was, thinking this job would be difficult. What were the odds that both our targets would be in the same house, brother?" A silky voice emanated through the doorway to the front hall.

"Very low odds. I mean, there are three of them now, and two of us. Shall we?" The second voice came from the doorway leading from the kitchen to the living room. It was richer than the first, likely the older of the siblings, or whatever they called themselves.

Two cloaked men with matching daggers stepped into the room. Ross's hands flickered back to normal, and he gazed at them in horror. Marthus noticed, glancing with concern at his stricken friend. _They must have serpent steel!_ As the assassins closed in with daggers held, ready to slash, Ross reached for the two pots of boiling water on the stove, and threw them at both men.

The first pot missed the man coming from the front hall, but the water caught his arm, scalding it and forcing him to drop his magic-nullifying knife as he grunted in pain. The second pot hit the other brother straight on, and splashed over his chest. He stumbled backwards, howling as the boiling water burned his skin. _He still has that knife, and he'll be back on the attack in a second. I'll take my chances with the front hall._

The trio charged at the man still scrabbling on the floor for his knife. Kiwa was first out the door, kicking the man in the leg as she went by. Marthus followed up with a clubbing blow from the pommel of his sword. The man didn't stand much of a chance as he tried to rise up, and his nose was met with Ross' knee. A flower of blood bloomed from his broken nose as he fell backwards. The other brother had recovered from his initial shock of the burns, and rushed to his sibling's aid.

Kiwa slammed the door to the kitchen. "What do we do? They'll be after us in about five seconds!"

Ross strained, but only a small pinpoint of light emanated from his palms, and then winked out. "I've got nothing."

Marthus grimaced, "Looks like I'm the only one with a weapon here," Kiwa made a stabbing motion with her knife, "The only one _trained_ with a weapon here," he amended.

The door was battered from the kitchen side. "How about you let us get to you, and we'll take you in alive? We'll get you either way."

The other voice snickered, "Our client didn't say how close to living. Actually, he wants you dead, but we just might let him do it himself."

The three didn't have much choice. They ran out through the front door, into the night. Marthus could hear the kitchen door splintering behind them. He reached for wind magic to launch them to the rooftops, but then remembered that he didn't have it. The trio sprinted for the intersection, Marthus bringing up the rear with his sword.

"Hey Ross!" Marthus yelled, keeping his eyes back towards the house. The brothers had made it out of the kitchen. As he watched, they kicked the front door out.

"Yeah?"

"Can you turn more than one person into light?"

"I don't know! Never tried!"

Kiwa was panting, "If we're going to try something, we gotta do it fast! I can't keep up this pace forever!"

"Fine then. Everyone stop here, and grab my hands. This will feel weird."

The trio stopped and Marthus and Kiwa linked hands with Ross. Marthus glanced behind them. The two assassins were running down the cobbled street toward them annnnnnnnd… There wasn't vision. There wasn't sound. There was just motion, and the darkness all around. That enemy, the darkness. And then the world of senses returned. Marthus tumbled across a shingled rooftop. His sword had slipped out of his hand, and was stuck, point first, into the roof a few feet away.

"I guess that worked." Ross was standing already, and looking at himself like he was expecting something to be missing. Kiwa was lying down, catching her breath.

Marthus peered over the edge of the rooftop. The two brothers were looking up at them, but Marthus couldn't see their faces or hear what they were saying. "We need to move before they find a way up here."

"Or we fight." Ross was standing next to him, and his palms were glowing now. He had a hard look in his eyes, a fire that he hadn't had back in the house.

"I agree. We can probably take them." Kiwa chimed in. Marthus decided to ignore the probably.

Marthus didn't reply, he just ran towards the edge of the roof. As he jumped, he realized he could break his legs from this height, without his regular burst of wind to slow his landing. _Great plan there, buddy._ Luckily, Kiwa caught him just in time with a flow of air under his feet. _I've gotta be more careful, I'm too used to relying on magic._

"Come to fight, _bodyguard?_ " One of the men sneered. Marthus couldn't tell which brother it was, but he guessed it was the younger.

"Came to win."

Marthus sprinted towards the pair, hair rippling in the wind created by his passing. The brothers' daggers shifted to a reddish hue as they prepared to receive his attack. The taller brother stepped into Marthus' attack, swinging his dagger low as he pivoted to the right. Marthus' first strike missed, but he also managed to evade the shimmering dagger that reached for his knees. The second brother stepped in, cutting at Marthus' sword hand, but he stumbled on the cobbles and missed as well. Marthus smiled. _They can't be all that skilled if they're tripping on stones. Likely just a pair of rich brothers who fancy themselves magi killers._

Marthus went for the shorter brother, who was still recovering from his fall. He struck at the man's arm with the flat of his blade, meaning to jar the dagger out of his hand, but the man threw out his arm at the last second, and Marthus' strike severed his hand at the wrist.

"OH MY GOD! HE CUT OFF MY HAND!" The taller brother stood in front of Marthus, staring in shock at his new stump, until Ross kicked him down, and Kiwa used the man's cloak to tie a bandage around the truncated appendage. Marthus pivoted and kicked the knife away. It skittered across the stones and landed in the gutter.

Meanwhile, the shorter brother was clenching and unclenching his fists, seemingly caught between rage and fear. _He'll run. But we can't catch him unless I get that dagger away from him. I've got to spite him enough for him to attack me._ Marthus considered for a moment, then seized on an idea, and spat at the man, the glob landing about a meter and a half away, right at the brother's boots.

"That's what I think of your brother," he spat again, "And that's what I think of serpent steel bought by rich brats who want to kill magi for a bit of fun."

"You… you… _bastard!_ I'll kill you!"

The man rushed him, not even bothering to trick Marthus this time, but throwing everything into a vicious assault. It wasn't much good however, since his rage made his strikes easy to predict. The cuts were disjointed, the only danger in them was the power with which they were delivered. _But that's easily dealt with_. After parrying the first five wild cuts, Marthus got close enough to the man to deliver a blow to his dagger arm with the flat of his sword, the same move that had resulted in the man's brother losing a hand. The movement flowed smoothly this time, and the man dropped his ornate dagger.

Kiwa and Ross, who had been standing by, rushed in to subdue him and take care of the dagger, respectively. Kiwa held her kitchen knife at the man's throat, while Ross handed her the serpent steel blade. The two made a funny image, one clearly designed for efficiency while the other was gaudy. _Although beauty can hide a sting_ , Marthus remarked grimly inside his head.

"Ross, can you contact the police, or the MODs, or someone with official power in these situations? They'll probably be quite interested in our friends here, and their black market serpent steel."

As Ross ran off to complete his task, Marthus set about doing some preliminary questioning, before the officials arrived. "Who sent you to kill us?" _I do have a pretty good guess._

"Some man, called himself the Stargazer. We never really saw him, the place he met us at was dark. He had some other... things, there."

"What kind of things?"

"All I know is that they were cold… They brought the room temperature down to freezing. I know because the glass of water I was given froze solid."

 _That's interesting… An ice elemental, maybe?_ "That's all for now, we'll turn you over to the police for more official questioning."

Marthus pivoted on his heel, intending to head back to Kiwa and discuss plans. _His hands and feet are bound, he won't get anywhere before the police arrive, even if he does escape._ After spinning around, he came face to face with a black motorcycle helmet. _Raz!?_

"Hello, Marthus."

"Why the hell are you here? No one called the MODs!"

"Cool it. Actually, your friend Ross _did_ call the MODs instead of the police, and the Mayor sent me to investigate. Now, do we know who these two are?"

"Um… no." Marthus rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed that he hadn't even gotten basic information out of them. _This is why you'll never be the police, just a bodyguard._

"Then I'll take over for a few minutes, see if I can't coax some information out of them." The helmeted man brushed past Marthus and headed towards the man tied on the ground behind him.

Marthus had a sudden memory of what Raz's "coaxing" could be. "What are you going to do to them?"

The Shadow Mage looked back over his shoulder and chuckled, "Oh, just the usual methods…"

Marthus sighed and walked back over to Kiwa. He glanced down the street, and saw Ross sprinting towards them. He waited to speak until the Light Mage arrived. _I hope he doesn't confront Raz… That could end badly. Wait, no, that_ would _end badly_.

Ross was panting when he arrived, "So… now… what?" he questioned, taking a breath between every word.

"Well, speaking as someone who is tired, *cough* _I wonder who that could have been…_ *cough* I would like to go back to sleep. How about we all get some rest, and meet up at my house tomorrow. Anyways, by then the MODs and the police should have more infor-" Kiwa flinched as a scream echoed from behind them, "Information. Sound good?"

Raz walked into their small circle, and added, "Meet at Mayor HQ. I'll be there with any more information you need." The black-clad man brushed past the trio into an alleyway, and disappeared into a pool of shadow.

Marthus was afraid to look behind him, but the same brothers were on the cobbles, tied hand and foot. But they were shaking. _If it works, it works._ _I guess I'll find out what Raz got out of them tomorrow._ As he walked back towards his apartment, the shadows flowed behind him, waiting, watching. The brothers looked around fearfully, and then one tried to get up to run. The ebon tentacle that ripped out of the shadows moved faster than the eye could follow, and the man fell to the cobbles, groaning in pain from the hole in his leg. The shadows flowed over the two, and when the darkness receded, they were gone.

 _This one took a while to write (10 pages in Google Docs) with a word count of 3730. I hope you enjoyed it, decided to bring everyone together for the last few chapters. Don't worry though, it's not going to end for another three chapters at least! Leave a review if you enjoyed!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Getting closer and closer to conclusion… MWAHAHAHAHA! Okay but really, this series is continuing to be really fun to write and I'm glad that you guys have been enjoying it! Thanks to LilyRoseTheDreamer for her OC Ross, and Raz for his MOD persona! Enjoy!_

Marthus was on his way to Mayor HQ. It was the day after his encounter with the assassins that had tried to kill him and his friends, Ross and Kiwa. The assassins had been sent by a god that wanted Ross and Marthus dead, while Kiwa was enlisted as one of their allies. After a brief conflict, the trio had emerged victorious, and one of the city's MODs, Raz, had "procured' information from the assassin siblings. _And now we find out if it was worth keeping them alive for… I have a feeling that if it isn't, they won't be alive much longer, given that Raz is doing the questioning…_

The bodyguard walked quickly towards the HQ. He didn't want to be late today, especially not for this meeting. As the building came into sight, he became apprehensive. _Is this really going to help us? Should I just leave this to the authorities?_ Then he remembered that he and Ross were really the only ones that had experience dealing with this kind of thing, apart from the Lord Pewdiepie. He knew at least a little something more than what the Mayor and the MODs knew.

So lost in thought, Marthus didn't realize that the stairs were coming up, and tripped on the bottom step, only to be caught lightly by unseen hands. He looked up to see Kiwa suspending him an inch above the cobbles. "Glad I caught you before you went inside."

Marthus rolled his eyes, "So funny. Can you let me up so we can go inside?"

Kiwa laughed, "I thought you had amazing reflexes, Mr. I'm-the-best-fighter-you've-ever-seen."

The bodyguard stood, and walked past her irritably, "I wasn't paying enough attention… Now c'mon, we'll be late."

The pair walked inside, and were directed to head to the Mayor's office by two MODs, Jo and Arc, who were talking by the front desk. When they reached the door, they saw Raz lounging casually on the wall outside, obviously waiting for them. The shadow mage silently pushed off the wall and walked inside, not a word spoken to the newcomers. He left the door open, and Kiwa and Marthus stepped inside cautiously.

"Raz, is there anyone outside?" The Mayor was placidly sitting at her desk, legs crossed, her usual cup of tea sitting steaming on its saucer.

Raz walked over to the door and peered down the hall, the black dome of his helmet shimmering as he scanned the outside, "No one, boss."

"Then will you seal the door?" The Mayor gestured towards the lock. The Shadow Mage stepped back inside, closed the door, and covered the entire aperture with a shadowy substance.

"So, what do we know?" Ross spoke up first. He had been relaxing in an armchair in the corner of the room, and had obviously been waiting long enough to get comfortable.

Raz glanced at Mayor Gabbi questioningly before starting. The pink-haired woman calmly gave him a slight nod, and the helmeted man began speaking. "After I… questioned… the assassins, I found out that they're part of a minor noble family, brothers, and their father was _not_ happy with them. I have a feeling that they 'borrowed' money to buy that serpent steel."

Marthus interjected quickly, taking advantage of a gap in the flow, "Anything more on the Stargazer?"

"The who- Oh yes, the divine being. Well, they seemed pretty terrified of him, which is understandable when you're being threatened with a 'fate worse than death'" Raz replied with obvious disdain towards the assassins.

Gabbi, who was feeling a little lost at this point, interrupted the two speakers, "So what do you propose we do about this 'Stargazer'? I'm all for throwing the assassins in prison, but it doesn't seem like it will solve the larger problem of an impending threat to this country and the Capital."

It was at this point that Kiwa stood up, and reached into a satchel at her side, pulling out a roll of paper. She silently walked over to the desk, and paused for a moment, as if waiting for permission. The pink-haired Mayor gave a slight nod, and Kiwa began unfurling the paper, the rustle of paper the only sound in the room.

"On this paper, I've written down a list, a brain-dump essentially, of all the factors involved in this problem," She paused for a moment, "As far as I know."

The group clustered around the paper, inspecting it for themselves. This went on for about half a minute, before someone spoke up.

"Soooo, now what? We have all these ideas, but no actual plan." Ross broke the silence.

Marthus spoke up, "Seems pretty clear to me. First, we see if the Mayor is willing to lend us one of her MODs to help this endeavor. Then, I see if I can win a god's favor back. Lastly, we banish the Stargazer from Victubia. Sound good to everyone?"

The group nodded assent, not sure what else to say.

==O==

"Having a plan is all well and good, but how are we going to win the Colossus' favor back?" Ross was running to catch up with Marthus after the meeting concluded, and they had left Mayor HQ. Raz was walking calmly behind them.

"There's a shrine in the Knota Mountains, at my old village. If Raz is willing…?" Marthus ended with a questioning glance back.

"You want me to teleport you, don't you," the helmeted man sighed.

"If it's not too much trou-" Marthus was cut off as he fell into the shadows that had swarmed around his feet. When the light returned, he, Ross and Raz were all standing in the center of the ruined village. Marthus craned his neck, and could make out the flowers that were growing on patches of ground just outside the destroyed homes.

"So this is where you grew up. Huh," remarked Ross. "Must've been a nice place."

"It was, before… this… happened." A lump rose in Marthus' throat, and he took a deep breath before continuing. "The shrine should be in the center of town."

"Will we know it when we see it?" Raz sounded almost bored.

"It's kind of hard to miss…"

The monument in question was a ten-foot tall statue of the Colossus, in full battle armor. Time hadn't been so kind to it, so much of the intricate carving that adorned its weathered body were worn away, but the horned helmet was unmistakable. The divine depiction towered over the trio, but Marthus stepped forwards and knelt at its feet, unsheathing his sword and placing it over his palms. _I've gotten this far… Now what?_

"Hey, uh, Colossus? Since we last talked, some new events have come up, and I, _we_ , realize that I need your powers to fight off the Stargazer. So, uh, if you could help us out, that would be appreciated. Thanks."

Marthus stood up again, resheathed his sword, and realized that Ross and Raz had been staring at him the whole time. _I feel like a lunatic. An idiotic lunatic. Why would this plan ever work?_ "You know, it's not polite to stare. If you feel like laughing, laugh. I did my best."

Raz pointed over Marthus' shoulder, "We're not staring at you, we're staring at _that_."

Marthus spun on his heel, and was confronted by a sight that would stay with him for the rest of his days. The huge stone statue had _moved_. It was raising its sword, and the previously vacant eyeholes of the helmet now glowed green with energy. The ancient stone cracked and rumbled, and the monolith stepped down from its pedestal, grinding to a halt in front of the trio.

Marthus raised his sword. _Not that it can do much against stone…_ Ross' palms glowed with blistering radiance, and Marthus could feel the heat from where he was standing. On his other side, Raz was standing in a mass of shifting shadows, strange appendages twisting and writhing menacingly.

 **Three things.** The heavy, unmistakable voice of the Colossus boomed through the silent, deserted town, and bounced off the mountains on either side, echoing through the valley like an ancient bell.

"Excuse me?" All three of the trio said at the same time.

 **Three tokens of my power. Every time a world is created, the gods have the opportunity to place pieces of their power in the world, to exert their influence or provide power to their chosen. They are the same pieces of power as other worlds, just existing in multiple worlds at once.**

Raz spoke up, "Well, _Colossus,_ I represent the government of Victubia, and I would like to know how we can find these tokens, so that we can defeat this 'Stargazer'"

 **They are primal magic, and can be found by other primal magic. Your friend Ross has that power. Be wary, however. It is power not restricted by your elements, your spirits and spells. It is old, older than all of you except, perhaps you, Raz. Your power comes from the beginning of it all, from one of my friends. Take care that you wield it well, and that it does not wield you.** With that, the statue began to crumble into dust, scattering on the wind.

Marthus turned and saw Ross staring at the place where the statue had stood, a strange look on his face. The green-haired man raised his hand abruptly, and a beam of light emanated from his pointer finger, and cut across the sky like a spear. The Light Mage spoke, "I guess that's where we're going first?"

 _Well then. Take care of your statues, kids, or they'll be inhabited by deities and crumble into dust. Hope you enjoyed this one, I'll get more chapters out ASAP!_


	8. Chapter 8

_So now we have a quest. We have our heroes (courtesy of yours truly, Raz and LilyRoseTheDreamer). We have our villain. Time to sit back and enjoy the ride! I present to you Bodyguard, chapter eight!_

"If that's where we're going first, where is it? I need a _specific_ place if we're going to teleport," Raz spoke up. The trio were standing in front of the rubble where the old shrine used to be. After Ross had been compelled to show the way to the first of the three sigils of the Colossus, they had been arguing over where exactly they should start.

"Judging from the direction of the light, our destination is either Orkan, Ode or Mitten. They're the only cities close to that line. Why don't we try teleporting to one, and use process of elimination?" Ross summoned the beam of light again to emphasize his point.

Marthus sighed, "Well, we have to pick up Kiwa first, but Ross's is the best idea that we have." He turned and stalked away from the shrine. A moment later he realized that his sword was still out, so he fluidly sheathed it with a slither of steel on scabbard.

The other magi quickly followed him, Raz and Ross bickering behind him on where they should go first. _I'm having second thoughts about bringing a Light and Shadow mage together… And Ross told me that he and Raz fought once._ The group behind him finally came to a consensus, so he sat on the grass and waited for them to catch up.

"Well, where are we headed first?" Marthus asked tiredly. The day had been more tiring than he expected, what with giant statues coming alive, and Ross and Raz at each other's throats.

"I'm thinking Orkan, always wanted to see the storms." Ross replied. Raz bowed his head in affirmation. He swept them all close, and the shadows engulfed them.

After they reemerged in the Capital, Marthus quickly ran over to Kiwa's house and retrieved his friend, briskly returning to the other two, and re-entering the shadows, to reappear in Orkan. _Ross was right, the storms are certainly impressive._ The group had arrived in the middle of a downpour. Marthus did his best to deflect the rain away from the group, but gave up after half a minute in the tempest.

"Ross, would you kindly locate the sigil? My scarf is getting wet." The helmeted mage stood stock still in the rain, gazing pointedly at the green-haired man.

"Oh, sure, no problem!" Ross seemed to take just a _liiiitle_ bit longer than he should have, probably to spite the MOD. _Can't they drop it for five minutes? Well, I guess Raz_ did _try to kill Ross. Is there no way to get past that? I did it with Raz! I think._

The foursome trudged squishily through the rain, Raz teleporting them to different places in the city. Finally, Ross announced that the sigil must not be in Orkan. As a kind of divine punctuation, lightning struck the street just behind him, as if to warn them away from the city. It also scared the crap out of everyone, even Raz. (Though he would never admit it.)

"Now what?" Kiwa snapped. She was grumpy because she liked the clothes she was wearing, and they were ruined beyond saving at this point.

"Now we head to Ode. Actually, it makes a lot of sense given that they have a lot of old artifacts in their museums…" Marthus trailed off in thought. "I don't know why we didn't go there first," he said to empty air. The other three of them were halfway down the street, looking at him impatiently. He hustled over and the group disappeared in darkness.

In contrast to their previous venue, Ode was positively heaven on earth. The sun was out, and the group's garments dried quickly. Raz was still annoyed about the scarf, however, and took every moment to reprimand Ross for letting it get as wet as it did. As the group walked down the streets, it was a much more leisurely trip, taking in sights and sounds that they didn't often get to see, like the many glassblowers making their beautiful crystalline creations that shimmered and shone in the sun.

As the group approached one of Ode's many museums, the light emanating from Ross's hand grew stronger, and the Light Mage began to attract attention. He stuffed his hand in his pocket, and the group sauntered on. Even Raz appeared at least moderately excited to find the first sigil, preferably quickly. But the group's hopes were dashed when they saw the museum was closed due to "technical problems" _What kind of a museum has technical problems?_ Raz simply picked the lock with a shadowy tentacle and Marthus, Ross and Kiwa entered the museum behind him.

Almost immediately, it became clear that something was off. The air was as cold as winter inside, and there was a sense of abandonment about the place. "Anyone else feel that?"

"W-what, the f-fact that I'm frickin' _freezing to death?_ Y-yeah, I feel it!" Kiwa snapped back, shivering as she spoke. She began rubbing her hands together and blowing on them furiously, attempting to warm herself.

Marthus glanced over at Ross, who was shivering himself, and then to his other side to see how Raz was doing. The MOD was calm and impassive as always, not showing any sign of discomfort, or any sign of _anything_ , for that matter.

Marthus' teeth chattered as he forced out the next sentence. "W-well, l-let's find the s-s-sigil and get out of here as f-fast as w-we can." The now familiar light emanated from Ross's hand, bringing a warm glow to the freezing, abandoned rooms. Marthus estimated that they were heading towards the center of the museum now. _We can't be far… away._

As he thought, the group passed through a doorway into a huge atrium space. The skylights above let in a cold, bluish-tinted light. The entire dome of windows was encrusted in ice. Ross' beam of light shone directly at a huge pillar of ice in the center of the room. _The sigil must be in there._ _Oh, wow Marthus. Great job being Captain Obvious there. Stop talking to yourself please._

Marthus summoned a flame to his hand, intending to head over and melt the pillar down. Then he realized he didn't have his magic and almost just gave his hand frostbite "Raz, you're the one with somewhat of an actual military experience, what's the strategy here? Whatever did this is probably not gone."

The helmeted man stood in the middle of the floor for a moment, pausing thoughtfully before beginning. "As far as I can see, you, me and Ross are the ones with the best fighting experience, but Ross will have to melt down the ice. Kiwa, did you bring any medical supplies?" The woman replied by raising a first aid bag that she had had under her jacket the whole time. "Right, then try not to get killed, since none of us knows how to use that stuff."

"With pleasure. Not getting killed is always high on my list of things to do." Kiwa replied before heading back to the edge of the room.

"Well, let's give it a shot." Ross walked up to the pillar, and pressed his hand into the frost. The ice began to melt, and in a few seconds the Light Mage had a puddle of water around his feet. There was a sudden cracking and rumbling noise, and Marthus looked around frantically to see where it was coming from. The other three were also scanning the room in bewilderment. Then Marthus realized it was laughter.

Oh, we can't have you doing _that_ , my friend. A chilling voice echoed through the gallery, seeming to emanate from the walls themselves.

"Who are you?" All four of the party shouted in unison.

You will not recognize my name, and nor do you need to know it. I have been sent as a protector, The voice replied. And in case you think it was the Colossus, let me put those ideas to rest. I am the first of three, and I will kill you before you reach the other two. Your bones will freeze solid, and you will be my thralls.

Marthus squinted at the top of the pillar, high up in the gallery, and thought he could see ice forming into a humanoid shape, "Let's get on with it then! Come on! Don't get cold feet now!" The rest of the group groaned at Marthus' terrible joke.

The light in Ross' hand abruptly went out in a blast of freezing air. The figure at the top of the pillar was formed of solid ice, which creaked and cracked, separating into separate pieces, with swirling ice crystals forming the joints. Vicious icicles grew from its hands and feet, and formed a kind of crown on its head.

Oh, you would like to die quickly? I suppose I could oblige, but then again… maybe not. Raz summoned shadowy tentacles around him, Marthus readied his sword, and Ross pulled a spear of blue light out of thin air.

The ice thing was the first to strike. It leaped off of the pillar, heading straight for Ross, intending to crush and shred him with the icicles on its hands and feet. Ross neatly sidestepped the attack, plunging the spear into the creature's side. It didn't even flinch, and simply backhanded Ross across the room. His spine would have been snapped if Raz hadn't caught him with a shadowy appendage, and lowered him gently to the ground.

The green-haired man was still in bad shape, however, with a long cut across his face where the jagged ice had slashed him. Marthus, seeing his friend injured, roared and charged into battle, hacking and slashing at the creature. Raz attacked from afar, using the shadow of the creature to freeze it periodically, but he seemed to have difficulty locking it down, like it wasn't the creature's true shadow.

After a few quick blows, Marthus realized he was essentially just hacking at ice, and his blade wasn't very effective. His opponent suddenly shifted to the side, evading a strike, and grabbing hold of Marthus's blade. It promptly was covered with a sheet of ice. _What the hell is this thing?_ Raz saved Marthus by popping out of the creature's shadow and pulling it off of the bodyguard with huge ebon pincers, but the solid ice simply disintegrated into ice crystals, and blew off into an empty corner of the room, opposite where Ross was recovering, being tended to by Kiwa, but already looking at the thing with rage in his eyes.

You have never fought one of my kind, I can tell. You may know us as wights, or wraiths. That is what your ancestors screamed as they ran from us, and were frozen solid in their tracks. We are creatures of unimaginable cold, as you may have been able to fathom. Our world's summer is worse than your worst winter. We crave your heat, but it also means the death of us… And so we conquer, and kill. The Stargazer is only one of many to use us as weapons, but we do not care so long as we get a portion of your world, The wraith finished, before solidifying again, this time into three smaller figures.

"Wait wait wait. If we somehow gave you a portion of our world, would you leave us alone?" Raz asked.

No. We would slaughter you all. You are nothing, and you waste space.

"Worth a shot." On the last word, a giant shadowy talon stabbed downwards at the first of the wraith fragments, spearing it and pinning it to the floor.

Marthus didn't catch a glimpse of the rest of the MOD's fight, as another fragment was charging at him. The warrior hefted his sword, and realized that the sheen of ice made it heavier, but more effective, since he could now smash his enemy to pieces. Wickedly sharp claws whizzed past his face, leaving a trail of icy particles behind. Marthus raised his impromptu club and brought it down on the wraith's arm, shattering the appendage into fragments on the floor. His opponent hissed, and retreated a few meters away.

As Marthus gazed around the room, taking advantage of his brief respite, he saw Ross summoning all manner of weapons out of light, and beating the absolute crap out of his fragment. It was already falling to pieces under the vicious onslaught, and as Marthus watched, it attempted to retreat, only to be smashed to pieces by a huge, scintillating warhammer of radiant justice. _Holy crap. This guy is insane. Although I suppose he did tell me that story of the one time he killed someone with a plate…_

A little bit further away, Raz was ripping another fragment to shreds with razor sharp blades, and dodging in and out of his creations to strike at the wraith with his own shadowy sword, his erratic and distinctive style, always switching hands, and making him close to impossible to predict. _Unless, of course, you've fought him before… Unfortunately for this poor thing, it didn't have that luxury…_ Marthus shook his head in mock sadness.

Marthus turned back to his own fragment, "Your other pieces are dying. Do you not see that you can't win this fight?"

My other comrades will destroy you yet. Meanwhile, I shall do my best to fulfill my duty, The wraith replied. Across the room, all the fragments abruptly disintegrated into snow, which flowed over to Marthus' fragment.

Ross's final strike dented the floor, but hit nothing. Raz's blades cut through thin air. And the wraith grew in size in front of Marthus, until it's head almost touched the glass windows above. For a moment, it seemed disoriented, and the bodyguard took advantage, running up the snow-covered limbs, using his sword, which had mostly thawed, as an anchor whenever he felt himself slipping. _I must look like a maniac._

And now, unfortunately, you die. First, your friends. The giant raised it's hand, preparing to crush Raz, Ross and Kiwa where they stood.

"I think not." Marthus stood next to the wraith's icy crown. He took a deep breath, and wound up for the strongest strike of his life. It severed the wraith's head, shattering the ice and frost forever, and sending a shockwave throughout the entire body. It creaked and rumbled, before exploding into pieces that blasted into the walls with hollow _thunks_ , embedding themselves deep in the stone.

Marthus stood on the floor, having slid down the giant wraith's arm before it shattered. The huge, frosted crown landed in front of him. In the highest point, a necklace with a stone threaded on it, displaying the Colossus' sword. Marthus sliced off the point, and the ice thawed instantly. He dropped the necklace around his neck, the carving hanging down on his chest. His sword began to glow, and gained another edge, of pure light.

"One down, two to go."

 _Dat fite tho._ _I had a ton of adrenaline, so I wrote the majority of this the night I posted it. If there's any errors, please notify me, because I'd like to know, but I can't be bothered to check right now. TOO MUCH ENERGY! More to come!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Marthus and Co. are now on their hunt for the remaining two sigils, with their wraith guardians. Because you need more than one person with enhanced power to fight a god, there's gonna be some more items of power-boosting nature for the other members of our group. Continuing thanks to Lily and Raz for their characters! Enjoy!_

Marthus hefted his newly glowing sword, swinging it in intricate loops and figures. It didn't feel any different, just more… deadly. The new glowing edge hummed slightly as it cut through the air. Marthus turned to one of the ice spikes, and swung his blade in a smooth arc. For the first half second of the strike, everything was normal. And then, things changed. Five afterimages were left as he finished the stroke. They just hung there, and when Marthus raised his sword, they followed the path of his blade. Unintentionally, the ice fragment was left in multiple pieces by six different blades striking in unison.

"That's... interesting." Marthus was about to continue his exploration of his trusty sword's new capabilities, when Raz stopped him with a hand on the bodyguard's shoulder.

"There'll be time to experiment on the hunt for the next sigil. We should keep moving, find the next sigil. Ross, will you do the honors?" The Light Mage raised his arm, and the now familiar needle-thin beam of light emanated from his pointer finger, aiming due east. "Looks like Udde. Let's go, please."

 _What made him so grumpy?_ Marthus walked over, sheathing his blade as he did so. As soon as the tip of the blade entered his scabbard, the second edge disappeared into thin air, as if the shimmering blade had never existed in the first place. He walked over to Raz, with Kiwa and Ross following. The familiar cold of the shadows enveloped the group, and the museum disappeared.

Evidently other members of the group had noticed the MOD's tetchiness as well. Ross whispered to Marthus as the group entered the shadows, "What's up with Raz? Did you piss him off? Because that's my job." The pair chuckled at their own joke, until the helmeted MOD fixed them with a steely gaze through the visor of the helmet.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence until they reemerged in Udde. The ancient architecture around the group was awe-inspiring. Ross held up his hand to indicate the next Sigil, but no one was watching, not even the Light Mage himself. They had emerged in a square, with beautiful buildings all around. Even Raz seemed at least marginally cheered up.

"I don't know about all of you guys, but I'm quite tired from what we just went through, and I wasn't even fighting. I vote we find a place to stay the night and continue our search in the morning." Kiwa spoke up, bringing the other three back down to earth.

"I can second that. I'd like a bit of time to recover from getting backhanded across the face by a giant ice monster."

Marthus held his vote, waiting for Raz to pitch in, "I suppose a bit of rest wouldn't be out of place. Most places will take us for free if I flash my badge."

True to his word, they found a small inn, the House of Cards, and the innkeeper was more than happy to let them in after Raz showed him the MOD badge. The fact that they were packing weapons looking deadly enough to cut with a look probably helped as well. _I don't like scaring innocent people, but sometimes it has its benefits,_ the bodyguard thought darkly.

"They've got three rooms for us. Ross and Marthus are sharing, Kiwa's got her own, and I've got my own."

"Why do you get a whole room to yourself?"

"Because I got them for us, and you _really_ don't want to be near me at night."

With that, the MOD tossed them the keys, and the group headed up to their rooms. They were pretty good, having gotten them for free, and the bed was comfortable. Ross and Marthus arm-wrestled for it, and Ross lost. He grumbled as he pulled out the extra linens and set up a makeshift mattress. At the last minute, Marthus had a change of heart and gave him the bed.

"I've gotten used to sleeping in uncomfortable places from my time at the monastery. You'll sleep better in a real bed."

Eventually, the pair went to check on Kiwa and Raz, and found that Kiwa had gone out, leaving a note saying that she'd be back before dinner. Raz wasn't answering, so Marthus decided to go out and explore Udde. Ross stayed behind to relax and recuperate. _I hope he'll be alright by the next time we have to fight. We know there will be more of those wraiths..._ Eventually Marthus found a coffee shop and ordered a cup of tea. He hadn't really been either a coffee or tea guy, but it seemed like it could provide some much needed relaxation.

The aromatic liquid arrived at his table a few minutes later, along with a small wafer, and he brought it to his nose, savoring the scent. _It's nice to just sit back once in a while, relax, enjoy a nice drink._ And then he caught a bitter smell, just at the edge of the full, herbal scent. _Just when you thought it was safe to drink tea in peace._ He sighed, then stood and headed for the back of the shop. He snatched another cup, and filled it with water. Then he walked back to his table, keeping the cup hidden under his jacket. When he reached the table, he feigned a slip, and switched the poisoned cup with the plain water. The poisoned one was then dumped on the floor.

 _I just hope no one else was targeted._ With a little reluctance, he drank down the water, and then waited a few seconds, and made a face. He stumbled to the back of the coffeehouse, aiming for the restroom, but diverting into the small kitchen, drawing his sword, the soft _shing_ cutting through the bustle of the coffeehouse.

"Alright, who tried to poi-" The clatter of the back door interrupted him, and he ran over to see a young woman sprinting full length down a side alley. "Nevermind. The tea smelled delicious!"

With that, he gave chase. As he dashed down the alley in pursuit, he realized he was leaving afterimages behind his sword, but no more than five at a time. _I wonder..._ He willed them to hunt down the would-be assassin, and they flew forward. The end of the alley was now in sight of both Marthus and the woman, but the blades of energy were gaining fast. Just as she broke out onto the cobbles of the street, a blade caught her in the leg. It cut through, hobbling her and sending a spray of blood into the air, which spattered on the bricks of the buildings around her. Marthus didn't stop running.

"Who are you?" He ran up and knelt by the fallen poisoner's side.

She looked at him. Her eyes were a piercing blue, like ice on a winter day. "Just someone who loves to look at the stars." Marthus looked away for a moment, surveying the street for people who might be watching. _Crunch._ A spike of ice now protruded from the woman's chest, directly where her heart used to be.

 _Damn, she could have given us a clue of what we're up against... And she got killed just because that was a possibility._ An intense cold radiated off her body, and the ice spread, a thin layer of hoarfrost now covering her chest and face. _Did she do this herself, or was the wraith controlling her?_ With these thoughts swirling in his head, Marthus returned to the inn.

==O==

"Hey Raz, are you in there? Raz? Raz!" Marthus was standing outside the door of Raz's room, waiting for the helmeted man inside to respond.

"Yes, I'm in here! Goddamn, just knock next time..." There were brief sounds of footsteps, and the door swung open to reveal Raz.

"Can you come downstairs to the tavern? We need to talk."

"Fine. Give me five minutes."

This process was repeated for Kiwa and Ross, with varying levels of enthusiasm. Ross had been napping, while Kiwa had just returned. A few minutes later, they were all gathered in the common room of the inn. The sun had begun to set, and Marthus began his story about what had happened. As the group talked, the inn's tavern began to fill with more customers, and the innkeeper brought food for his newest customers, who carried badges of authority. It wouldn't do to disappoint a MOD, and especially not Raz.

 _Well, I suppose we should check the food._ He beckoned for everyone to hand him their plates for him to check over. Everything was clean... this time.

Kiwa spoke through a mouthful of food, "So now what do we do? We know the wraith probably moves around, likely carries the Sigil with them. We need to find them and take them-" Raz held up a hand.

Five men had just entered the tavern. They openly carried their weapons, although in Victubia this wasn't uncommon. Marthus shivered. _Did it just get colder in here?_ Then he realized that it had. Another three enter Each man left a tiny spot of ice under his feet when he walked. When one picked up a drink from the bar as he walked to a corner table, among protests from the bartender, the ale froze solid. The bartender backed off.

 _We need to tell the patrons about the danger._ Marthus called over a server, and whispered in his ear. The man paled, and then quickly rushed behind the bar. The innkeeper paled as well, and passed on some instruction to the other waiters. The bar emptied quickly under the furtive glances of the waiters and the half-heard whispers. The wraith-men had noticed, and simply watched impassively as the room emptied.

I have learned from my comrade's failure. The almost-familiar cold voice echoed through the empty inn.

"Let's see how much payback I can put on you for your friend's attack." Ross leaped to his feet, summoning a long spear of light, which flickered like the firelight that pervaded the room.

Your weapon looks... faint, The wraith men replied in unison.

As a reply, Ross launched it into the lead wraithman's chest. It cut straight through, but the inside of the man was simply ice and snow, tightly packed. _Well then. Apparently no conventional injuries will kill these guys._

"Aim to disable, not to kill!"

Raz had summoned huge fists of shadow and was using them to attempt to take the weapons away from his assailants. He now focused on crushing them into the ground. Ross was hacking at the legs and arms of his two wraiths. Kiwa had reached into her bag, and pulled out a bonesaw, presumably used for emergency amputation, but now simply being used for amputation. Ross was just doing his thing as usual, but he fought with a ferocity that Marthus hadn't seen before. _Probably that payback he was talking about..._ Marthus flipped over a table, and unsheathed the Blade. The familiar afterimages formed in the air, just as he was almost crushed by the same table he had just flipped over as a makeshift shield.

You are slow, bodyguard. The freezing. voice mocked him, coming from two wraithmen standing over him. And that slowness will cost you. One man seemed to smile sadly. His eyes shifted from ice blue to green. And then stabbed his fellow.

"I can't explain right now. Just get out of this alive, Islingr."

Marthus' strange saviour plunged back into the fray. Two more wraithmen had entered the inn via the ground level windows, and broken glass crunched under the boots of the struggling fighters. Marthus walked over to the wraith who would have just killed him, and chopped it's head off. _Can never be too safe._ Kiwa had dismembered two of her assailants, and the other had decided she wasn't worth it. Ross seemed to be having a difficult time with his three fighters, including the one he had injured earlier, so Marthus waded through the fight, occasionally blocking and ducking blows directed halfheartedly in his general direction.

"The middle one has the Sigil!" Ross called out, referring to one of his assailants. The body being inhabited by the wraith was a male, tall and burly, with a large beard that smothered the bottom half of his face. On his chest, a circle of stone showed the Sigil.

Marthus sprinted forwards, grabbing a bar stool in one hand, and holding his blade in the other. He bashed the slightly surprised wraithman in the head, but the creature shook it off and snarled, lunging with inhuman grace towards the bodyguard, who leaped backwards. Around them, the sounds and sights of battle faded away, leaving a kind of tunnel vision to the Sigil on the lead wraithman's chest.

"You've got something of mine."

My comrade was afraid of it's power. He never used it, fearful it would destroy him. It was his undoing.

The man stood, and Marthus noticed that around him, the sounds of battle had ceased. The other wraithmen stood stock still, unmoving, intent on the two standing in a circle of tumbled stools and broken glass. Kiwa had pulled out a scalpel at this point, Raz held only his midnight blade, and Ross still held his spears.

"I doubt it'll save you from _this!_ " Marthus directed all five blades straight at the chest of his opponent.

The wraith laughed, and a breastplate that was formerly only made of dreamstuff became real. The Blade glanced off, emitting a piercing note like a high-toned bell. The ringing continued for a moment as the wraith simply stood, unfazed and with a calm look on his face. The next second, Marthus was on the floor, crying out in agony from the knife blade jabbed into his back. A wraithman had thrown it from across the room, and now the one standing in front of Marthus took this advantage.

I will execute you, here and now. Nothing complicated, just a stroke to the neck.

"Then do it, goddamn... You villains always take so long."

 _Chink._ An endless howl, and a blast of light. This was all Marthus could perceive from his place on the floor. Raised voices, and then another necklace around his neck. It felt strange, sitting on top of the other one. In another moment, they were one Sigil. Marthus could feel the carvings change to be a combination of the Blade and some new shape. He spent the ride to the hospital in a state of delirium.

==O==

The moon was shining overhead, behind the inn that the group had killed yet another wraith in. _Only one more to go,_ thought Raz, as he pondered what would come next. The back door of the tavern clicked open, and Maxwell stepped out.

"You are likely wondering what my motives are, why I helped you, etcetera, correct?" Raz simply gave a nod. "I serve a higher power, like your friend Marthus. I'm not gifted, such as he is, but I have my own unique set of skills."

Another voice, female this time, joined the conversation, again coming from behind the MOD. _**He works for me. You need not beat around the bush, Maxwell. Our friend Raz should know the truth.**_

"And who might you be, lady?"

 _ **You know who I am. I am the ruler of that primal darkness which you command. I am the good and the evil night, and I would like to give you a gift.**_

Raz turned quickly, to catch a glimpse of his benefactor off guard. But there was no one. only the moon, high above. "What's it going to cost me?"

 _ **Is not the purpose of a gift for it to be free? You need help against the Stargazer. He has overstepped his bounds, and I will not let the Colossus fight him alone again. We may have had our differences, but I feel I can help you.**_

At this, a beam of silvery, opalescent light streamed down from the orb that hung in the sky above like a jewel. It twisted and shifted until it became a necklace with a small silver crescent on it. _Doesn't look like much..._ The MOD slipped it on, and then he understood. Before, he could control the darkness and the shadows. Now he _was_ them.

 _Here we go, another chapter pulling us closer to conclusion! Hope you enjoyed this one!_


	10. Interlude

_Here we have a brief break from the usual viewpoints of Bodyguard, an interlude, if you will. Thanks to Gabbi, Raz and LilyRoseTheDreamer for their OCs and personas! This is kind of the spiritual successor to Gods Play Games, I suppose. I hope you enjoy this, and know that the finale is coming soon!_

 _N_ o. _I_ w _i_ l _l_ h _a_ v _e_ n _o_ m _o_ r _e_ o _f_ t _h_ e _s_ e _f_ a _i_ l _u_ r _e_ s. _I_ s _e_ e _n_ o _w_ t _h_ a _t_ I _w_ a _s_ w _r_ o _n_ g _t_ o _u_ s _e_ o _t_ h _e_ r _s_ t _o_ d _o_ m _y_ o _w_ n _w_ o _r_ k. A flicker, like the sparkling of stars on the canopy of space, showed in the corner of the room.

I will not fail like my comrades! Have faith! A hint of panic entered the cold voice.

 _I_ d _o_ n _o_ t _d_ o _u_ b _t_ i _t_. A swell of light, brighter than a thousand suns, enveloped the room. There was a scream like the cracking of ice, and then there was but a puddle on the floor. The last Sigil sat in the water, currently unimportant to the deity in the room. The Stargazer stood, and paced in thought.

The body coalesced from stardust and fabric of the sky itself. As he paced, the Stargazer's body seemed to move with whole galaxies and nebulae. _They have tried to fight me, to stand against me! All I wished was to destroy the two Islingr. The others say I have overstepped my bounds. But_ they _are not chilled by that expanse which I am doomed to wander and rule. I WANT MORE!_ A glow gathered around the right fist, a horrifying radiance that promised naught but oblivion to all who saw it.

 _I_ s _h_ a _l_ l _g_ o _m_ y _s_ e _l_ f.

 **Stargazer, reconsider.**

 _ **We do not wish to fight, only negotiate for a more… peaceful solution.**_

 _Y_ o _u_!

Two others had entered the strange space that the Stargazer occupied. A tall woman with hair as dark as the expanse of space behind her, and a crescent circlet upon her brow stepped forward. Her face was emotionless, but her circlet blazed with silvery light. Beside her, her companion stood bedecked in gilded raiment. The horned helmet's gaze met the pulsing, pulsar eyes of the Stargazer. The Midnight Queen and the Colossus had arrived.

 _W_ h _y_ d _o_ e _s_ t _he_ H _o_ r _n_ e _d_ O _n_ e _n_ o _t_ c _o_ m _e_?

 _ **He wished to remain neutral.**_

 _A_ n _d_ t _h_ e _A_ r _c_ h _o_ n _s?_

 **The same reason. This is between you and I, Stargazer.**

 _A_ n _d_ y _o_ u _r_ Q _u_ e _e_ n, _e_ v _i_ d _e_ n _t_ l _y,_ the deity sneered.

 _ **Guard your tongue, Wanderer.**_ Her circlet shone just a little brighter, the light seeming just a little sharper.

The star-skinned god hissed, and then addressed the Colossus. _I_ d _e_ s _t_ r _o_ y _e_ d _y_ o _u_ r _I_ s _l_ i _n_ g _r_ n _e_ n _o_ n _c_ e. _T_ h _e_ y _w_ i _l_ l _d_ i _e_ a _g_ a _i_ n, _n_ o _m_ a _t_ t _e_ r _y_ o _u_ r _S_ i _g_ i _l_ s. The starstuff form grew, till it stood twice the height of the other beings.

The Midnight Queen looked sadly at him. _To think I shared part of my realm with her! She has betrayed me, just like the rest. They say I am mad, but gods cannot be mad! I AM THE STARS THEMSELVES!_ The Colossus unsheathed his blade, and silvery light poured fourth from the Queen. The Stargazer staggered, the light eroding his form, shrinking it. He countered with light of his own, a horrible starlight that incited madness and fear in millions of beings across the worlds.

The furious magenta light poured forth, forcing the Queen's power back. Detonations echoed through the room as the two powers fought. Supernovae exploded and were dissipated, crescents of silver energy battled nebulas of magic, and the Stargazer was winning. The multiverses themselves shook with the struggles. But it was too late.

The Colossus' sword, heavy with the weight of ages, severed the arm. A howl emanated from the formless maw of the defeated god, and the arm fell to the floor. _They… cannot…_ The final Sigil was plucked from the puddle on the floor, and quickly sent down by the the Stargazer's form was eroded to the minimum necessary to keep from destruction, the arm flowed and shifted. The magenta glow returned, and the hand became a star, just another among the vast expanses of the ether. It fell towards a certain world, a certain land, a certain goal.

 _I_ a _m_ c _o_ m _i_ n _g_ , I _s_ l _i_ n _g_ r. _A_ n _d_ t _h_ i _s_ t _i_ m _e,_ y _o_ u _w_ i _l_ l _b_ u _r_ n.

==O==

"Miss Mayor? Ma'am, you should see this."

Gabbi sat at her desk, working late again. The paperwork seemed never-ending, but she wearily raised her head to see who it was. Ray, the familiar constable, and her secretary Felice's boyfriend, stood at her door. Felice himself was in the hallway when she left her office, and the constable silently led the trio downstairs, and outside. A pinkish radiance lit the sky above the city, and although Gabbi would normally have been happy to see that color filling the night sky, this one was… repulsive. Horrifying. She shuddered, and saw that her associates had much the same reaction.

"Send someone to find where it is going," she directed to Ray, "I have a terrible feeling about this, and the only person I know that might be able to tell us something about it is gone with one of my MODs." _I hope that someone has an idea of what's going on, because I sure don't… And I don't like it._

==O==

Back in HQ, the MODs were clustered around various windows in the building, watching the star fall. It made all of them uneasy. There was something about it that was… threatening. And none of them liked the fact that it wasn't something they couldn't fight.

Arc spoke up, "I hate not knowing what this is. Anyone have any ideas?" Her hands were on the pommels of her jet black blades, just twitching to unsheathe the swords.

Doodz chimed in nervously, "It's probably just some kind of natural phenomenon. We don't know that it's a bad thing for sure…" The fire mage sounded uncertain. She was toying with a small flame on the tip of her finger.

"One thing we do know, it's giving all of us a bad feeling. There's no way Boss has missed this, we should go consult with her on what we should do." Panda said decidedly. His plushie sat on his shoulder, and nodded in agreement with his friend.

"I still don't like it. Have any of you seen Raz? He's bound to know something about this, after hanging around with Marthus." Jo said. Her fingers were twitching as well, itching for something to hit.

There was a chorus of _nos_ and _nopes_. The MODs went back to watching the window. "Well, let's hope he gets back soon, then." Asa mumbled. The rest of the watching passed in silence. Nothing else needed to be said.

==O==

The MOD in question was sleeping in an inn within the city of Udde. At least, his body was. His mind was in all the shadows of the city, of the country, of the world. The pendant from the Midnight Queen had granted him powers he didn't yet understand, but he was determined to explore and learn their uses as soon as possible. The Shadow Mage delved through dreams and nightmares, hills and glades, houses and hovels. Occasionally, he saw others like him, but they meant him no harm, and they passed far away. Then, something cut into the still silence of the evening.

A star shone now, a new one. It fell towards the lands that Raz walked, the sharp light reflected in every lake he passed, every eye he saw through. _This is not right._ He felt faintly nauseous and uneasy when he looked at it. When he glanced down, the pendant he had been given was blazing with argent light. It cut through even the glare-reducing visor of his helmet, and forced the MOD to avert his eyes. Only half knowing what he did, he _twisted_ the light, and formed a shield above himself. It seemed to lessen the effects of the star, and so the MOD walked onwards, in search of answers. The night was his counsel, and the creatures that stalked it were his comrades. Raz had come unto the nocturne, and he would defend it with the fury of the night itself.

==O==

The Sigil fell to earth, faster than the star. It was a streak of gold, briefly silhouetted against the falling star. It shot through the window of an inn, and laid itself with it's fellows on a table beside a certain Islingr's bed. It fused with the others, and the pendant now showed a relief of the Colossus, Blade in hand, in full Raiment, with the Helm emanating power.

A Light Mage was the only witness to this. He figured it would happen eventually. Ross sat awake, gazing at the star. Like all the other citizens of this world, and others, it filled him with uneasiness, and a vague sense of terror. He knew what this was, now. _I suppose it's really happening, isn't it? The god has come to earth, and he is_ angry. Ross involuntarily summoned two orbs of light to his hands, before extinguishing them.

"Where's a bodyguard when you need him?"

==O==

High in the mountains, the old monk woke, and looked out his small window. He had a vague sense of foreboding, as if something terrible was about to happen. But all he saw was a new star, bright magenta, and it was from this that he was repulsed. _I know that light… Oh gods._ The man dropped to his knees, wishing that he was wrong, but knowing he was not. _The last I saw that light was on a battlefield, with thousands of my comrades lying dead at_ his _feet. If he's come back, I pray that Marthus had come to his senses. If not, this world will be gone before I can gather any kind of resistance._

The monk left his bedroom, and stood on the stones outside, watching the star fall. It was coming to this place. He knew that now. As the radiance drew nearer, he closed his eyes, and within his mind, drew the swords he used to wield. _I stand alone, comrades. And now I come to join you all, killed by that same hand that slew you. Islingrnen atavi ne islingr._ _The Lightbringers stand for the light._ The star landed, and the shock shook the world.

 _I hope you enjoyed this one! This is probably one of my favorites out of all the chapters. Thanks for supporting this series!_


	11. Finale (ARC 1)

_And here we are! Another series completed... I think this was the better of my two so far, and I certainly enjoyed this one just a liiiiitle bit more. You all are SO amazing for supporting me throughout this, bearing with me when I had some issues, encouraging me with all your compliments and feedback... It's been a heck of a lot of fun. Enjoy the finale!_

The sterile-smelling air of the hospital invaded Marthus' nostrils, and he shot back to consciousness. _Oh yes. I got stabbed. But then... saved? What the hell happened?_ He cracked an eyelid open, the light causing a brief pain as his vision adjusted. He was lying on a bed, with bandages around his torso, and a familiar face bending over him.

"Hey! You're finally up!" Kiwa's smile filled his vision, and he strained to get up.

"How long since we fought the wraith?" Marthus struggled to a sitting position, groaning as his back muscles twitched.

"You've been under for days... We were starting to worry, but the doctor's here are top notch! They're so skilled... So much better than I could ever hope to be..."

"You helped out quite a lot, miss, from what I understand. Without you, your friend would have had _much_ more grievous injury. You're likely the sole reason he's alive now!" A soft, unfamiliar voice emanated from the doorway, and an old man wearing a doctor's coat stepped from the aperture.

Kiwa blushed at the praise, stammering a half-heard _thank you_ , as she stepped back from the bed. Marthus spoke up, figuring now would be a good time to get some answers. "So, doctor...?"

"Wessens."

"Doctor Wessens, what happened while I was asleep?"

The doctor cleared his throat, "Well, we had to perform surgery, and give you stitches for the wound on your back, but what happened next... We're not sure." The doctor shook his head. "Your friend with the green hair, Ross I think he was, came in carrying a strange pendant. He said it would help you. We're not quite sure what happened next..."

Kiwa smiled sweetly, "Doctor, could you leave us alone for a minute?"

"No problem, my dear. Call me if you need me." Wessens left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Listen, the Sigil healed you. We don't know how, but the new one that we got from the most recent fight creates some kind of armor around you. I actually killed the wraith that was going to kill you..."

"How did you manage to pierce the armor!? It deflected the Blade, and that can cut through practically anything!"

Kiwa grinned sheepishly, "The wraith forgot to armor it's back. I just stabbed it with a spare scalpel."

Marthus shook his head in disbelief. "To think that they'd be that stupid..."

His friend's expression turned serious. "You should rest now. We're going to have to fight again soon. You know that."

"Yes, I suppose I do. Bye, Kiwa."

"Rest well, Marthus."

==O==

Marthus awoke later that night. As his sleep-addled mind tried to process why the room was pink, he heard exclamations of surprise and fear from the street outside. He struggled out of bed to see a new star in the sky, slowly descending from the heavens like an ember from a faraway fire. And then he heard the voice in his head.

 _I_ a _m_ c _o_ m _i_ n _g_ , I _s_ l _i_ n _g_ r. _A_ n _d_ t _h_ i _s_ t _i_ m _e,_ y _o_ u _w_ i _l_ l _b_ u _r_ n.

The bodyguard froze. The time had come. Kiwa burst into his room, the door slamming against the opposite wall. She dragged him away from the window, telling him things he couldn't hear nor understand. Outside of the building, the group stood waiting. Raz was silent, as usual, but a crescent pendant hanging from his neck blazed with radiance. Maxwell had his sword and dagger drawn, and a grim look on his face. Kiwa had 'borrowed' some medical supplies from the hospital behind them, and was restocking her kit, looking worried.

Ross stepped forward from the back, holding out a stone pendant that faintly glowed with an inner light. Without a word, he handed it to Marthus, and it fused with the other two. In a flash, Marthus could feel the void where his magic used to be fill with newfound power. _This must be the power of the final Sigil._ Ross's hands lit up when Marthus combined the sigils, and strands of light began to form in the air around the group. The two Islingr's powers seemed to be reacting to one another as the remainder of the team watched armor form around Marthus, made of the light that Ross was manipulating.

Marthus cleared his throat to speak, and found his voice had changed. **"Is everyone ready?"**

Maxwell stepped forward, "Now's as good a time as an-"

The ground heaved up, throwing everyone, Islingrnen and bystanders alike, into the air. Buildings quaked in their foundations, and when the dust settled, the star had left the sky, but the glow suffused the mountains in the distance. _He's going straight for home..._ Raz moved, and then they were rushing through the shadows, the wind on their faces.

"I would like to say that we're going to be fighting a god. Don't hold back, and don't give up. We're probably some of the only people who can deal with this threat, and we're the first responders. You have a responsibility for all Victubians right now!" Raz yelled as they rushed towards their destination.

"If anyone needs battlefield healing, I'll be hanging back to do some quick patching up." Kiwa added.

"I don't know you all very well, but I hope you can trust me with your lives. You'll probably need to." Maxwell grunted.

"We're going to win. We have to." Ross said simply.

" **You're all Islingrnen now. Let's redeem our predecessors."**

The group burst out of the shadows and into the eerie pink light. They were standing at the gates of the monastery, and the light from within was blinding. Raz was weaving something out of silver energy. It became apparent he was shielding them from whatever ill effects the light was giving. Ross also crafted himself armor from light, a breastplate of radiance that cut into the magenta rays like sun on a cloudy day. Marthus felt the Sigils grow hot on his chest, and the familiar armor formed, the helmet's four-eyed faceplate appearing over his vision.

 _S_ o _y_ o _u_ d _i_ d _c_ o _m_ e. _I_ e _x_ p _e_ c _t_ e _d_ n _o_ t _h_ i _n_ g _l_ e _s_ s. The voice came from all around them, echoing off of the mountainsides. The group readied their various weapons in a series of metallic noises. _Y_ o _u_ h _a_ v _e_ o _n_ l _y_ c _o_ m _e_ t _o_ y _o_ u _r_ o _w_ n _e_ x _e_ c _u_ t _i_ o _n_.

" **You'll find we are a bit harder to kill than you expect. Your wraiths all fell before us."**

A reverberating screech came now. It took Marthus a few moments to realize it was a laugh. _T_ h _e_ y _w_ e _r_ e _p_ a _w_ n _s_. N _o_ w _y_ o _u_ f _i_ g _h_ t _t_ h _e_ k _i_ n _g_.

Ross sprinted towards the doors of the monastery, screaming a battle cry. With a roar, the rest of the group followed. Inside, the Stargazer waited. The monastery was decimated, a large crater occupying the majority of the space where buildings once stood. A figure stood in the perfect center, one hand glowing with magenta energy. Ethereal smoke curled off the body, and two pulsar stars formed the eyes in the face. Constellations studded the Stargazer's skin, galaxies spreading across his body. The god was space itself.

" **What happened to the monk here!?"**

 _I_ d _e_ s _t_ r _o_ y _e_ d _h_ i _m_. H _e_ w _a_ s _t_ h _e_ f _i_ r _s_ t _o_ f _m_ a _n_ y.

" **We're not going to let that happen!"**

With a cry of rage, Marthus charged. The Blade arced up, the golden edge humming with power, and then down, towards its unmoving target. The strike landed... and stuck. Nothing moved. _What the hell...?_ And then there was a clear tone, like a glass bell. A pulse of energy rippled outwards, throwing the entire group back into the edges of the crater. As the dust clouds settled, the Stargazer began to grow, gaining height until he was nearly three times the height of the group.

 _Y_ o _u_ s _e_ e _?_ I _a_ m _a_ b _o_ v _e_ y _o_ u, _i_ n _p_ o _w_ e _r_ a _n_ d _i_ n _h_ e _i_ g _h_ t.

"You don't look so big to me."

Marthus turned to see Raz floating in the night sky, even higher than the Stargazer. The repulsive magenta light had died down, and the MOD simply hung in midair. Looking closer, Marthus could see giant pillars of writhing shadow holding him up, like an offering to the night. And then the sky moved. The stars blurred, whirling across the celestial dome at impossible speeds. Raz's pendant positively formed a second moon with the light it was giving off. Then Marthus realized it _was_ the moon. Raz had dissolved into the night sky. _What happened to him while I was out?_

As the stars slowed, the rest of the group looked up in confusion. None of the familiar constellations were present, replaced by strange stars. A neon green orb hung just above the horizon. _We're not where we were, are we..._ The Stargazer looked astonished, the pulsar eyes wide in amazement, which contracted into twin points of rage and disbelief a moment later.

 _I_ t _i_ s _h_ e _r_! _S_ he _h_ a _s_ g _i_ v _e_ n _y_ o _u_ t _h_ a _t_ w _h_ i _c_ h _w_ a _s_ m _i_ n _e_ t _o_ g _i_ v _e_!

The darkness shook with Raz's response. "You better believe it." And the nocturne crashed down on them all.

==O==

"Boss, what can we do here?"

The MOD Team had been called together for an emergency meeting in Gabbi's office. Everyone was on edge after seeing, and feeling, the star land in Victubia. It was clear where it had landed, at this point, from information gathered by Gabbi's informants throughout the kingdom. The Knota Mountains were ground zero, and people who knew the person who hailed from that area knew _exactly_ what this was.

Gabrielle was on her second pot of tea that night, but it didn't seem to be helping all that much. _What DO we do?_ _For all I know, we can't even fight that..._ She looked up to find all the MODs looking at her, some impatiently, some worriedly. The Mayor sighed, brushed back some stray strands of hair, and began to give out instructions.

"Notify the Queens, although I doubt they missed this either, and get them to safety. Panda, that's your job."

"Can do!" The plushie-carrying MOD dashed out of the room, heading for the castle. Gabbi turned to the next MODs in line.

"Doodz, Mishy and Jo, you're in charge of evacuating the city. Do it as quickly as possible while keeping panic to a minimum. I'm not taking any chances with this. Mishy, head straight for the hospital, and get the sick out."

"You can count on us!" Jo called back as she left. Tina gave a salute before running off. Mishy gave a worried grin before following.

"What about us?" Arc seemed like she was itching for something to fight, her hands on the pommels of her blades. Asa was uncharacteristically serious, cool as ice and waiting for the next instructions.

"You two are going to the mountains to scout. Report back with any information you get. I'm sending a duck with you, so that you can get your intelligence back to me as fast as possible. If you see an opportunity to attack, _don't_ take it. Got that?"

Arc seemed unhappy with the last direction, but grudgingly nodded and walked out. Asa gave a quick nod before following. _And now the long wait begins..._ Gabbi poured herself another cup of tea, before settling back in her chair, head swirling. _What happens next will change everything._

==O==

As the waves of night fell, Marthus made his best attempt to have the Raiment glow brighter. It responded, and Marthus was now a lantern. In a moment, all was absolute blackness, except for a number of lights. Raz's silver pendant had shrunk again, giving the only indicator of where the MOD was. It looked almost ghostly, hanging there without any visible suspension.

Another point of light was Ross. The man was positively a sun in the darkness that enveloped the area. His radiant armor shimmered with a rainbow of colors. He wielded a long lance, a single crystallized beam of his luminescence. The look on his face was serious, and he seemed as if he could command an army. _Then again, he should be doing so. It's a shame we didn't get more allies._

Kiwa was further off. She was hanging back, her face illuminated by the green spirits she wielded, holding them ready for the first sign of an injury. She floated a few inches off the ground as well, her wind magic giving her speed if it was needed. In her other hand, she held a scalpel steady at her side.

Maxwell, the enigmatic servant of the Midnight Queen, stood with his sword and dagger out, using a dual-handed style that the monk had shown Marthus once, during the bodyguard's time at the monastery. His eyes glowed a dusky yellow, like a wolf. _Weren't they green when I last saw him?_

Finally, the last contestor in this bizarre arena other than Marthus was the Stargazer. The same writhing energies surrounded that same fist, but the deity seemed less confident. Raz's show of power had obviously surprised him, and the god was looking less sure. The god turned and stared at each of the Islingrnen, and then seemed to wait.

" **Raz, what did you do?"**

"I shielded us in the shadows and the night, to minimize damage to everything around us. I think the whole of it is called the nocturne. We're still in Victubia, but we jumped around space a bit, which accounts for the other stars you saw there for a moment." The MODs voice echoed around the space, bouncing off invisible walls of shadow.

" **Then we won't have to hold back."**

 _A_ n _d_ n _e_ i _t_ h _e_ r _w_ i _l_ l _I_.

Directed blasts of energy shot out from the Stargazer's fist. The other hand began to glow as well, but with heat instead of magical energy. _Now or never._ Marthus leaped forwards, propelling himself faster and faster with all the magics he knew, aiming straight for the rogue god. As he flew, the blasts detonated around him, and against the invisible walls of the nocturne. Waves of magenta flame spread across the walls like celestial flowers.

As Marthus closed with his opponent, he caught glimpses in his periphery of Raz, Ross and Maxwell all sprinting as well. Kiwa was directing blasts of wind to try and deflect the deadly ethereal energies. _We really_ can _fight as a team. Was this what the Islingrnen were like? Everyone of all types coming together to fight cosmic threats?_ Ross struck the first blow, putting all his strength into the lance throw that pierced the night like a ray of sun. It only seemed to irritate the Stargazer, but it was something.

Marthus carved arcs of light into the air, coordinating six Blades at once to attack the Stargazer from all sides. The Stargazer lobbed explosive novas of star stuff at the four attackers, forcing them to dodge and weave as they struck at the god. The Stargazer had shrunk considerably, but still stood nearly twice the height of Marthus, making the fight difficult. Solar flares burst out of his body at intervals, scalding anyone who got close.

Maxwell dodged in and out of the god's legs, slicing away at whatever material the Stargazer was comprised of. The man didn't seem to be all there, his form blurring at times, seeming almost lupine in nature. Ross used as many weapons as he could think up, bashing, slicing, stabbing and puncturing the form of the deity. And then Marthus was hit. One of the novas caught him in the chest, exploding directly on the Raiment, and throwing him back nearly to the walls.

He could still see flickers of silver, gold and magenta where the fight was still taking place, but he was quite far away. Kiwa was already on her way, green spirits at the ready. With her help, Marthus was back on his feet. He directed the Blade's remaining afterimages like arrows, firing them from long distance, avoiding the haphazard blasts that were fired at him. _This is too easy._ _Then again, we have the power of two gods on our side..._ _It still feels wro-_ Marthus fell into the floor, and resurfaced near the fight. Raz gave him a nod, before sprinting back into the fray. The Stargazer was shrinking, his essence being cut away, but the fist only seemed to glow brighter.

There wasn't any kind of warning. One minute, they were winning, and the next, their armor was in shreds and the Stargazer stood tall again. Raz was standing, but swaying. His helmet was cracked, and as Marthus watched, it fell to pieces around the MOD's feet, blood from cuts on the man's body mixing with shards of helmet. Ross was scorched all over his body, and there was no sign of Maxwell. Marthus ached all over, and he saw that the Raiment was fading.

 _Y_ o _u_ a _r_ e _f_ o _o_ l _e_ d _e_ a _s_ i _l_ y.

The fist began to glow again. _Are we really defeated this easily? Please tell me Kiwa got out..._ The shadows broke, fading away into the crater where the monastery once stood. _It's over. We're done._ The Stargazer walked forwards, stopping in front of Marthus. The god brought his fist down, but Marthus halfheartedly raised the Blade, deflecting the first blow.

 _S_ o _y_ o _u_ s _t_ i _l_ l _r_ e _s_ i _s_ t. _Y_ o _u_ a _r_ e _a_ l _o_ n _e_.

"Not anymore." Marthus raised the colossal weight of his head, and beheld the rest of the MODs, along with a contingent of the Victubian Army, weapons at the ready. Doodz stood at the front, her gaze filled with rage at the Stargazer. Marthus could guess why.

"So... you came..." Raz was still up, but his face was turned away from the rest of the group, and only Marthus could see him. He looked terrible, his countenance ashen grey.

Mishy and Kiwa rushed forwards, only to be stopped dead by a very fine beam of energy emanating from the Stargazer's eyes. _M_ o _r_ e _t_ o _k_ i _l_ l _i_ n _o_ n _e_ s _w_ e _e_ p.

With that, the Army and the MODs rushed past the fallen, and Marthus could hear the screams and sounds of battle from behind him. He grimaced at the thought of the unprepared soldiers going to fight a battle they couldn't win, all to buy time. As Mishy and Kiwa worked as quickly as they could, the Islingrnen quickly regrouped.

Maxwell had miraculously reappeared, but Marthus' earlier suspicions were correct. A wolf with a very Maxwell-like look showed up with the circle, and then morphed into the more familiar human form. Raz had somehow mended his helmet, and looked a lot better. _Or maybe Tina carries around an extra one for him..._ Ross looked to be in pain, but he had a set look on his face, and seemed determined to get payback.

" **We can't afford to waste any more time. This is the last attack. If we fail here, we won't get another shot. Give it your all."**

With that, the nocturne enclosed them again. There were some cries of surprise from the soldiers, until they figured out it would be wise to retreat and let the qualified professionals handle it. Even the MODs backed up when they saw Ross's expression. The Stargazer waited calmly, smugly. _We're going to wipe that nonexistent, invisible grin right off his face._

The Islingrnen returned with a vengeance. Ross and Raz joined forces for an initial attack, Raz lifting the very ground under the Stargazer, and putting him in the perfect position for a warhammer strike by Ross. From the outside of the pitched battle, the MODs threw fireballs, gusts of wind, balls of water and lightning strikes, doing their best to contribute without getting seared by a celestial explosion.

With their newfound energy, the Stargazer seemed to melt under the onslaught, for real this time. _You'll pay for all of this. Everyone you ever killed, tortured or tormented. All the worlds you've tried to conquer. All the harm and suffering you've ever caused!_ Marthus wielded the Blade fluidly, combining sword blows with boulders and bursts of flame. The Islingr forced the deity back, until the Stargazer was on a knee. But still the fist blazed with an awful radiance, striking time after time. Marthus drew back his Blade, preparing for a finishing strike.

 _Y_ O _U_ C _A_ N _N_ O _T_! _I_ a _m_ d _i_ v _i_ n _e_!

" **Try me."**

Time seemed to slow. Then Marthus realized it really was slowing down. He had inadvertently used blue spirits in the final moments of the fight. The bodyguard looked back, at everyone who was fighting beside him.

"For the ones who can't protect themselves." The MODs, one by one, released magic from their hands into the Blade. The twisting ropes of wind, water, fire and lightning made a symphony of colors.

"For the ones who fought." Maxwell stepped forward, and let some of the blood from his wounds fall into the twisting maelstrom.

"For the ones who cared." Kiwa extended her hand, palm up, and let the green spirits mingle with the rest of the magic.

By now, Marthus's entire arm was engulfed in magical power, the whole mass shifting around the centerpoint of the Blade. The Stargazer still reached upwards with the pulsing energy, painfully slow. The god's eyes were filled with rage, but even he could do nothing against the march of time.

The final MOD stepped forwards. "For the ones that we stand for." Twisting ropes of shadow joined the storm.

"For the ones who fell." All around them, silhouettes of light and dream formed. The Islingrnen had come for one final battle. Ross stood at their head. He outstretched a finger, and a single orb of light drifted off.

There was nothing else to be said. Marthus drew up his sword and released the blue spirits, leaving the Stargazer to stand up. In the split second before that deadly fist arced around and obliterated all trace of the Islingr, his Blade pierced the Stargazer's chest. A howl of endless rage and sadness echoed throughout the nocturne. The shapeless mouth of the deity was twisting and rippling as the scream slowly died. The pulsar eyes shrank, became white dwarfs, and then disappeared. Raz let the nocturne fall away, leaving the sunlight shining through. Dawn had come and gone while they fought.

The god began to collapse in on himself. _Only fitting he should end in a black hole..._ Light poured forth, endless cosmic energies that would never be unleashed, as they were dragged back into the imploding core. And then, there was nothing but a wisp of pinkish energy. It sank to the ground, and crystallized into a single, magenta diamond. Marthus picked it up, letting the light from the sun twinkle off it's perfect facets.

The world seemed to exhale.

 _End of Arc I._


	12. End of Arc I Beginning of Arc 2

Arc II will be all chapters after this, until (if I choose to do so) Arc III begins.


	13. Prologue

DATE: XX/X/XXXX

RE: MOD REPORT: "STARFALL" INCIDENT

MOD ON MISSION: RAZ

REPORT:

Most of this is gonna seem really insane. Seriously, Boss, if you'd seen the things I saw... Well, I guess then I wouldn't be writing a report, now would I? To sum it up, [REDACTED], but we didn't really suffer any casualties that couldn't be remedied. I myself gained control of [REDACTED] as [REDACTED] calls it. There was a level of power to it that can't even be explained. It was like nothing that I've ever felt before. [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] all fought in the battle, as well as the contingent of military you sent, and the other MODs.

 **SEE ATTACHED FILES FOR DETAILS**

Now to the more urgent matters at hand. After seeing [REDACTED] in action, and in light of recent events, I recommend we take steps _immediately_ , by whatever means necessary. I hope you will take my suggestions into consideration on this matter, especially given the circumstances surrounding this case.

Sincerely,

Raz

 _Three days earlier_

The Mayor sat at her desk, finishing up the final reports around what Intelligence was calling the "Starfall" incident. The only thing missing now would be the MOD report, from the MOD assigned to the mission. _I suppose I can forgive him for not liking writing reports... It's not the most fun at any time._ _Note to self: Remind Raz._

The Mayor stood up and stretched, bones and muscles groaning from their newfound movements. Feeling a bit better, Gabbi walked to the door, stretched once more, and left the room. The door clicked shut behind her.

"Feliiiiice!" Then she remembered he had left a few minutes earlier, leaving her to lock up the building.

As the Mayor entered the lobby, her pink hair bobbing up and down with each step, she took in the scene that lay before her. Felice was lying face down next to his desk, a puddle of blood around his head. A low whistling sounded, and Gabbi threw up a pink dome around herself before realizing it wasn't an arrow, but the sound of wind through the main door that was still opened.

The pink spirit Sage warily allowed her protection to fade before dashing over to Felice. There was a shallow cut on the side of his head, but it was bleeding profusely. Gabbi ran over to her secretary's desk, and found a napkin that had been used recently, but was clean enough for the purpose it would be put to. After using some half-recalled techniques she had learned from Mishy, Felice was looking a lot better. She stood up, and turned around. The lights went out.

 **Don't move an inch.** The glimmer of metal appeared at eye level, then coalesced into the tip of a sword blade. The blade looked familiar, and the voice was that of…

"Marthus? What's going on?"

 **Be quiet, or I'll make you.** The room was still too dark to see Marthus, but the voice and sword were unmistakeable. The glint of the blade moved away.

The Mayor lowered her voice to a whisper. "Why are you threatening me? What's happening, Marthus?"

 **I said… BE QUIET!** The pommel flashed down, and arced around to strike Gabbi in the temple with a dull _thud_. She crumpled to her knees, but didn't dare to let out a cry of pain, for fear of what would happen. Footsteps clattered in another room.

"Gabbi? Are you in here?" a female voice called out. The creak of a door, and then a faint light shone in from another room, reflecting off a pair of glasses. The newcomer, now revealed to be Doodz, surveyed the room in a split second, and then summoned a flame to her hand. "Duck!"

The blast of flame seared by above the Mayor's head, singeing her hair and lighting a few stray strands aflame. _This person can't be Marthus…_ The stranger stepped back, and cut down at the incoming projectile of fire. Tina's eyes opened wide as the fireball was cut precisely down the middle, and dissipated to the sides of the blade.

Gabbi took advantage of the attack and crawled towards the MOD, who was still staring at the intruder in shock. _I didn't think that was even possible, cutting a fireball in half..._ Gabbi thought, before lying flat again as Doodz recovered and sent a wave of flame at the intruder. They gracefully somersaulted over the barrage and landed in a crouch. The lights went out again, and Gabbi instinctively summoned up a shield of pink spirits, just in time for the blade of Marthus to glance off of it.

The faint glow emanating from the shield barely reached a few feet away from the Mayor and her MOD, not enough to illuminate the room. The attacker could be anywhere. Tina drew her daggers, their blades glowing with infernal light.

The weapons provided considerably more light, and now the room was lit dimly by orange illumination. Their attacker stood, unmoving. They wore a cloak, hood pulled down to cover the face, with a strangely shaped clasp for the neck. The rest of the outfit was dark blue and grey, and seemed to blend with the shadows.

"Drop your weapon!" called Tina, her voice resounding strongly in the shield, and sounding slightly dampened in the rest of the room. The figure didn't move.

"They don't seem to be moving. Are you up to go get that sword? I need a closer look at it," Gabbi whispered to Doodz.

The MOD dashed over, sliding under the outstretched arm, and swung her arm up to bash the weapon out of her opponent's hand. The moment her hand made contact however, the body of Marthus seemed to disintegrate into yellow motes of light. There was nothing left by the time Tina got to her feet. The MOD sniffed the air, and then looked guiltily at Gabbi.

"Sorry about your hair."

The Mayor shook her head dismissively. "It'll grow back. The same cannot be said of our attacker here."

"I'll get the police immediately."

"We'll need an ambulance as well, for Felice."

"Can do. I'll be back, just stay put. Alright?"

Gabbi nodded and sat down on the floor next to Felice. Her long night was about to get longer. _Who would impersonate Marthus?_ _And why?_

 _And here we go! A new arc! Hope you enjoyed._


	14. Chapter 1 (II)

_So here we go. The fight that maybe some of you have been waiting for. Enjoy!_

A calm night. Pleasantly warm, with a slight breeze through an open window. Calls of night birds in the trees outside Marthus' window. The bodyguard sleeps peacefully, dreaming of things that only he knows. A slight whistling from outside. Marthus stirs from the sound, rolls to the side of the bed. The whistling grows louder. Marthus rolls further, almost falling off the bed now. The whistling terminated abruptly. _Thunk._ A black arrow appears in the white sheets, a stain on the white landscape of the bed. The bodyguard is awake now.

"What the..." He pulls the shaft out of the bed, and inspects it with his sleep-dimmed eyes. Only a split second of whistling alerts him to a second arrow. Marthus ducks, and it penetrates the space right above his head. _These look like Mishy's custom arrows. But why is she shooting at me?_

And then the voice started speaking. "Marthus! We need you to come out the front door of your home with your hands up! If you attempt to escape, fight or do anything other than what we have just specified, we will subdue you with whatever means we deem necessary."

"Including sending in the MODs, it appears," the bodyguard whispered under his breath. His sword was under his bed, so he grabbed it for the sake of feeling a bit more secure. _But they don't want to take me alive, do they? They've shot at me with arrows for gods' sakes! I've gotta put up a fight, or they'll kill me where I stand..._

"You have one minute to comply with our directions before the aforementioned actions will be taken." Now the voice changed, "Hey, Marthus, we don't want to hurt you! We just want answers to some questions. Don't make this difficult, please." The bodyguard recognized the second voice as Jo, a MOD and water magi. They had met on occasion, and he considered her a friend. _Wonder what they're using to amplify their voices... Probably some kind of advanced wind magic._

Marthus crawled over to the window on his hands and knees, and drew the curtains. _That should keep Mishy's line of sight blocked._ He cautiously stood, and took the few steps to the door. The upper hallway was clear of assailants, but it was only a matter of time before the MODs would come for him. It had been about a quarter of a minute already. Marthus crept over to the main stairway, and poked his head through the doorway. A blast of wind threw him back, tumbling end over end back down the hall.

As he dragged himself to his feet, he saw MODs Asa and Panda, two wind magi, holding very deadly looking weapons. He groaned, "What happened to a minute?"

Asa smiled coldly. Her teeth were showing, but there was no trace of happiness in this grin. "Boss got impatient." The pair raised their weapons, Asa hefting a staff while Panda drew his arm back to throw a razor sharp projectile, likely a boomerang of some sort. Asa charged, thrusting the staff before her.

The first blast of wind knocked him back again, but the bodyguard managed to keep his footing this time. A follow-up attack by Asa nearly took him down there and then, the strike to his sternum missing by centimeters. With the boomerang, however, he wasn't so lucky. The edge sliced open his arm on the outside of his wrist, cutting the length of his forearm. Pain lanced from his hand to his shoulder. A red fog descended over his eyes, and he drove the pair of MODs back, cut after cut after cut, a mindless survival instinct taking him over.

 _I need to move. They'll recover in a few mom-_ As the thought entered his mind, he flew the length of the hall from a tempest of air that threw him through the glass window at the end. He hit the back wall of the building behind his, and slid down the bricks for about half a frantic second until he was able to wedge his sword into the soft stone, bringing him to a halt just above his small back garden, with its wooden door to the street. _I should run for it now, while they're still looking for me._

He crept to the gate, and opened it, just a crack. Tina stood about a meter away, leaning against the fence, with her knives drawn, but looking bored of guard duty. Beyond her, he could see a group of policemen and soldiers, gathered around a carriage with the Mayor's monogram on the side.

"Why do _I_ get stuck with guard duty? It's a nice night, but still..." Marthus closed the gate, centimeter by centimeter, careful to make no sound that would alert the MOD standing close enough to put a dagger through his chest in seconds if she knew he was there.

 _I guess the only other option is the Sigils..._ The former Islingr crept over to his basement window, and found that it was covered in the vines that grew down the back of his home. He quietly cut around the edges of the window, and opened it with a light push. The air smelled like dust and age, and Marthus felt his way in the dark. His grasping fingers found the iron ring set into the floor, slightly rusty, but not enough to be terrible. He pulled it open, and groped around until the familiar, cool circles of the three Sigils touched his fingertips, their carvings of the Raiment, the Blade and the Helm laid in stark relief against ancient stone.

"Exactly what I need right now. I have to control them though, don't want to hurt anyone more than I have to..." He slipped the necklaces over his head, the medallions fusing into one on his chest.

"Found what you were looking for? If not, I'm not waiting." Marthus reached out to the Helm, and let it's magical potential suffuse him. A flame appeared in the lanterns of the basement, illuminating his latest opponent.

Her black swords glinted in the torchlight, and the familiar features of the mask were suffused with a soft light. Arc, the newest MOD, but by no means less deadly. She stood shorter than the bodyguard, but he knew that this wasn't an advantage. She was just as much of an equal opponent for Marthus as any of the MODs, if not deadlier. _I_ really _didn't want to fight her._ But apart from Raz, no one had seen the Sigils, and he probably hadn't told. _But if he did, would it really have helped them?_

She seemed to read his first thoughts, "So, I'm shorter than you. Fight me."

Lightning leaped from the tips of the ebony swords, lighting the basement with an eerie blue glow. Marthus raised his arms in instinctual defense, and vines followed them. A whole wall of leaves and stems, a barrier between Marthus and the terrifying electric radiance. The smell of burning plants, of verdant greens sent to their burning graves. _I liked those vines!_ In his cocoon of vegetation, Marthus _glowed_. The Raiment formed around him, the armor that he had summoned so many times before out of dreamstuff forming in reality, armor that would save him. The Blade glowed around his own sword, suffusing the green walls around him with a golden light. The Helm came last, enveloping his head but at the same time allowing him the same field of vision. Magic came to him now, the void where his magic had used to be filled with the powers of the Helm.

Outside, Arc continued her onslaught, now simply hacking through the burnt remains of the huge cocoon. One dark point punctured the inner wall, and then the other. They made a quick circle, and the vines fell apart, leaving Arc silhouetted against the lantern light outside. No words were spoken, since the blades spoke for their wielders. Clashes sounded through the empty basement, loud as avalanches, but of steel instead of stone. _Damn, the rest will be coming now._ Weird light reflected off the walls as the two dueled, and the electricity mixed with divine power.

"Just... give it... up!" Arc growled through what Marthus assumed were gritted teeth. Her onslaught strengthened, but Marthus deflected the blows using his blade, and the nigh-indestructible Raiment that he wore.

He smiled, though he knew she couldn't see it. "You first."

And then, there was an opening in the pair of black blades. The helmed warrior dashed in, swinging the pommel of his sword at the MOD's midriff. She crumpled in half, but kept her defiant gaze on the bodyguard, even as he brought the handle down on her head, delivering swift unconsciousness to the masked mage. _I'm sorry, Arc. I really didn't want to..._ He reached for the green spirits, and healed the gash that the Blade's pommel had left on Arc's head, stopping the flow of blood, and leaving the MOD to sleep in peace. He turned to face the stairs leading up to his home, that lead up to his front hall, and escape. Only one obstacle stood between him and his goal.

"Marthus, I really don't want to do this." Jo stood, fists at the ready, coiled for attack, at the top of the stairs.

"Neither do I." The Blade shifted, and the familiar afterimages formed in the air, and then raced towards the Water Mage. _Goddammit! I meant for them to just stay around me! I need to control this better. Calm down, Marthus. Focus is a knife's edge._

Jo acrobatically dodged the afterimages as they sliced through the air, deadly radiance made solid. There was no respite after that. She attacked with animalistic force, a barrage of fists and feet. Most of the blows' damaging power was absorbed by the Raiment, but Marthus staggered backwards under the onslaught, not daring to raise his Blade for fear that it would be torn from his hands. A searing heat cut across his back, and he turned to see Doodz's daggers plunging towards his neck. At the same time, he sensed that Jo was about to attack his exposed back. He parried Jo and turned, but the daggers stabbed into his shoulder. The warm running of blood made his armor slippery, but he ignored the pain and continued. _I've had worse._ He glanced at the window, and saw two figures alight in the garden, the bursts of wind they had used as their elevators dissipating into the night air. Now was the time.

 **Enough!** The now strangely ancient voice of Marthus echoed from the Helm. A whirlwind of elements blasted outwards from the horns on his helmet. Water, earth, wind, fire, plant matter, metals and lightning all swirled together in a tempest of elemental fury.

When the dust cleared and Marthus surveyed the destruction, Tina and Jo were on opposite sides of the room. Tina was groaning, thankfully seeming unhurt. Panda and Asa had unfortunately been attempting to bring aid to the pair already in the room, and were scorched and disoriented. Arc was thrown against a wall, but she hadn't taken much of the blast. Jo lay motionless, a trickle of blood running from her nose, her chest faintly rising up and down. _No! Nonononono... I should never have used the Sigils!_ Green spirits suffused the air, healing, repairing, fixing. The MOD's breathing changed, becoming stronger and steadier. Marthus ran then, for fear of being caught by the recovering MOD team.

The bodyguard burst onto the street. All the lights were dark, and the only light came from the houses around him. His shadow grew in front of him, solid and black. But there was a glint of light, and a hint of dark purple in the night. A shift in the shadows.

"Hello Marthus. Fancy seeing you here, running away from my other friends. Seems out of place, you running from the law."

 **Raz. Just the person I didn't want to see.**

"Yes, and now that you've gotten away from everyone, I've gotta deal with you. I would honestly rather be lazing around the café."

 **Well, I'm bleeding from my shoulder and my arm, although it's sort of better I guess, green spirits n' all. Give my compliments to the other MODs for their incredible fighting prowess. If not for the Sigils, I would be dead by now, probably in the first few minutes of this.** Marthus said this with absolute sincerity. If not for the artifacts, he really _would_ be dead.

"Glad to hear that they scratched you up a bit. Now if you don't mind, my chair at the café is still vacant last I checked." The Shadow Mage raised his arm and Marthus was frozen in place, "It's nothing personal. You're a good fighter, but you should have remembered that I can do this."

 _Ha. I did forget. Freezing people with their shadows..._ Marthus strained to form words, but he managed to choke out a sentence. **How.. do you... feel... about light sources?** The Raiment began to glow, and Marthus' shadow disappeared, since he was now the brightest source of light.

 **And now, we do this for real.** Five afterimages formed, and Raz's shadowy appendages appeared as well.

For what now seemed like one too many times, Raz and Marthus fought. Raz was terrifyingly casual, but Marthus could sense that he was being cautious, wary of the Sigils that the bodyguard was wielding with deadly precision. Marthus was slowly gaining the advantage, scoring hits on the MOD's left arm and leg. The other MODs had recovered, but were hanging back from the epic confrontation that was lighting up the night. A few arrows were launched into the fray by Mishy, but either were deflected or caused no damage. The dark and the light were oblivious to all else but their clash. And then, suddenly, Marthus found himself helm to helm, blade to blade, with the Prince of Shadows himself. Their swords grated and clashed, while the duplicate blades and the tentacles fought in the background.

Marthus chuckled, **I... see... you.**

"Fuck off."

A silvery light shone down from the moon that hung overhead, intensifying by the millisecond. Marthus was bathed in its light, and was crushed to the ground by an unimaginably heavy force. The Sigils' power left him, negated by the light coming down. _Goddammit. Not_ her, _please._ The MODs gathered around the fallen bodyguard. Marthus swore he could see Gabbi among them, forming a protective dome around him and Raz. His vision dimmed, eyes closing slowly. A glint of light off metal sharpened his focus. Raz knelt before him, holding a chain with a small moon pendant on it.

"Looks like you weren't the only one who kept their gifts."

And then the moon was the last thing in the sky.

 _So there it is. Don't hate plz, I love all the MODs (y'all are seriously awesome), but the Sigils might be a liiiiitle bit OP. Lucky thing Raz kept his charm._


	15. Chapter 2 (II)

_I hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter, I had been wanting to write it for a long time. And now I hope you enjoy this one!_

"Please state your name for the official record."

"Marthus."

"Your _full_ name."

"Marthus," the man in question snapped.

Panda sighed. Marthus sat across the table from the MOD, sitting as straight as if a iron rod had replaced his spine. Panda gazed tiredly across the table at the bodyguard and former Islingr. Marthus met his gaze with icy calm, the hostility evident in his stare.

"Where were you at ten-thirty in the evening, four nights ago?"

"I will not deign to answer that. I want an explanation."

"Listen, you give us an alibi, we'll give you some information on why we needed it."

A stony silence pervaded the room. Marthus drifted into a meditative state, simply detaching from his senses and retreating into his mind. _I won't answer their questions until they answer mine._ His ears vaguely registered the sound of a door closing, an argument, the door opening, and closing again. A glint of light off of a gem caught his attention, and he snapped out of his semi-trance.

The Mayor sat down across from him, hands steepled. The light shimmered over the facets of a magenta gem, set into a silver ring. _That's not what I think it is, is it? Please, no..._ Gabbi raised her hand, admiring the ring, then turned her gaze on Marthus.

"You know what this is. You know the power contained within it, and lastly, you know that you can't protect yourself from it. I want answers."

Marthus closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "I want some from you first. Why am I here?"

"Don't you know? After all, you were standing as close as possible while it happened. You broke into HQ, tried to assassinate me, for reasons unknown to me, and nearly killed Felice. I want to know why." Her eyes hardened, not a trace of jest evident.

"You were the ones who nearly killed me! I've done nothing wrong!"

"Three eyewitnesses, including myself, say otherwise. I suppose we'll just keep you here until you decide to divulge your motives." Gabbi stood and walked towards the door, before pausing and turning. She raised her hand, and the gem glowed momentarily, looking about to shatter with the power it contained. Then the Mayor of Victubia stalked out.

The doors stayed open this time, and a few police officers entered and dragged Marthus off. Marthus recognized one of them as Ray, Felice's boyfriend. The man wouldn't meet his eyes. _I used to be a hero to these people, and now I'm just like the scum they take off the streets every day._

"Listen, it wasn't me-"

"You be QUIET!" Ray's voice was pure rage, but it softened into something like sadness, "He almost died, you know. Another centimeter to the left and..." He broke off, a tear trickling down his cheek before it was angrily brushed away.

"I'm sorry." Marthus tried again.

The constable didn't even cast him a glance this time. "No, you're not."

==O==

The first night in prison wasn't awful. The food was the worst part, but the cot wasn't any worse than other places Marthus had slept. _Sleeping for ten years outside, with a blanket and a balled-up jacket for a pillow... This is an improvement._ The next night however, the drearinessbegan to set atmosphere reminded him of his time at Reina's compound, a few years back.

"At least they talk to me here..." Marthus accidentally spoke his thoughts out loud, and promptly turned his face to the wall when he heard footsteps approaching. When he turned back around, curiosity winning over, his expression turned to one of shock.

"Be quiet. I'm just here for a visit." Maxwell stood in front of the bars of the cell, wearing a large greatcoat, a top hat's brim nearly obscuring his strikingly yellow eyes. Marthus craned his neck to peer at the pair of guards behind his former ally.

"Nice of you to come and see me here. What have you been up to?"

Maxwell adjusted his coat, revealing a piece of paper. It read: You're going to get out of here. Duck when you finish this sentence. "Oh, not much." Marthus ducked.

The wall simply came apart at the mortar. Bricks, trailing white dust like wisps of cloud, flew out of their settings. The cacophony of rumbling and cracking was deafening, filling the cell with the noise of destruction. Light filtered through the newly created aperture, lancing through the swirling and settling clouds of dust.

Marthus could hear metal ringing, the bars still vibrating from the impacts of stone. He found himself crawling outside through the hole, hard stone giving way to grass. The guards had fled, likely to alert superiors. Much of the chaos had been contained within the cell, fragments of stone lying next to the bars. Two bars had been bashed out of their places, creating a gap which Maxwell slipped through.

"Have a nice ride!" The yellow-eyed man called out.

"Wha- _ahhhhhhhh!_ " Marthus didn't even have the time to finish his reply before the ground shot away, and he ascended into the sky on a pillar of earth, pressed flat against it. The ascension abruptly stopped, but Marthus continued upwards.

He spun in midair, gaze focusing on the ground below. He could see Maxwell below, sprinting towards a wall. _Is this all some part of a botched escape plan? Do I fall to my death now?_ Then Marthus realized he wasn't falling. Down below, he could see a cart full of hay bales, hitched to two horses.

A figure stood next to it, holding their hands upraised. When the hands moved, Marthus shifted in midair. _Wind magic... But then who was the earth magi?_ A bulky figure sat at the reins, a flail beside them. Marthus plummeted towards the ground, whatever magical supports having been dissolved. Just before hitting the hay bales, a soft caress of wind brought him gently to a halt. He alighted gently, opening his mouth to speak almost immediately.

"Later." A gruff voice emanated from the hulking figure at the reins.

A wolf trotted up to the side of the wagon. The lupine body flowed and changed, becoming the familiar form of Maxwell. The man had discarded the greatcoat and hat, and stood before them wearing a tunic fringed with fur. He had two strange blades buckled on either side of his waist. _I'll have to ask about those later._ His yellow eyes held laughter, and there was a smirk on his face.

"Enjoy that ride? I had Fae here hold you up just a biiiit longer, get you a nice view."

Marthus' eyes smoldered. "Wasn't there an easier way? It's not exactly the most comfortable, getting BLASTED INTO THE SKY ON A PILLAR OF ROCK!"

Maxwell shrugged, "Not my fault Cam here wanted to get you as high as possible."

"Still... I guess I'll hold my questions till we get to our destination, which is where exactly?"

"Can't tell you that yet, but you'll see. Get some sleep, I've heard hay is more comfortable than prison cots."

Marthus curled up on top of a bale, pulling a tarp over himself. _Why... That's the question. Also, couldn't they have waited just a little bit longer? Now the Capital will be after us in force. I don't... know... them..._

==O==

The inside of a tattered tent, sunbeams poking their beams through the holes. Marthus sat up, feeling next to him for the hilt of his sword. His hand grasped only air, and then the previous night flooded back, memories overwhelming him momentarily. _I wonder..._

The former bodyguard hopped to his feet, a chorus of _pops_ coming from his joints. _Damn am I stiff. Note to self: never sleep on hay bales again._ Brushing the tent flap aside, Marthus stepped out into the morning light.

"G'morning! Sleep well?" A young woman sat on one of the low branches of a large oak tree growing in the center of the campsite. At the tree's base, a fire burned, and the smell of food wafted over to Marthus.

"Um... who are you? I don't really know any of you yet, but I don't recognize you from last night." It was at that point that Marthus realized his new companion had violet eyes, piercing in their intensity. _Does everyone have unique eye colors? Never seen so much variety..._

The woman scrambled up the tree, jumping higher into the foliage and out of sight. At the top, she reemerged, leaping from a branch, twisting acrobatically in midair, and landing softly with a hand extended to shake.

"I'm Fae, nice to meet you. If you can't tell, I'm a wind magi. I'm the one who stopped you from becoming a fugitive pancake yesterday."

"And for that I am grateful. Marthus, bod- _former_ bodyguard, at your service. Where's everyone else?"

Fae walked back over to the small blaze and pulled a pan from the coals, setting it on the grass. The grease sizzled and popped. "Honestly, I'm not quite sure. Quite irresponsible of them to leave this on an open flame as well. Could've wasted some perfectly good bacon. You want some?"

Marthus was in the process of sitting down by the fire when the sound of rustling underbrush caused him to spin around. "Did I hear bacon?"

A bulky woman wearing armor crashed into the clearing, two flails slung over her shoulders, the chains jangling with each step. Fae rolled her eyes and began pulling crude wooden forks out of a knapsack behind her.

"Yes, we _do_ have breakfast, but it's breakfast that neither you nor Max decided to attend to. I then had to save it from burning up."

The newcomer's face turned to guilt, then back to happiness as she dropped her flails and sat down next to Marthus. "So you're Maxwell's friend, eh? I'm Cam, nice to meet ya. Sorry I couldn't be here to greet ya when you woke up," She leaned over to him and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "You got Fae instead. She's a _liiiitle_ bit of a kid sometimes, but I blame it on her age. She's only nineteen you know."

"I HEARD THAT! Just because you and Max are older than me doesn't mean I'm not just as good as you!"

Cam laughed, "I would never think that! You know we love ya Fae!"

At this point the trio dug in. Bread was produced from other bag, and a block of cheese unwrapped and laid out. Another pan of bacon was fried up, and for a few minutes, there was only the sound of eating. Cam broke the silence, speaking with her mouth full.

"So, has Vocus woken up?"

Fae swallowed pointedly, then cleared her throat to reply "They're still sleeping, but I don't blame them. Running along our cart for the whole night, even for them, that's gotta be tiring."

A rustle of tent flaps alerted the group to the entrance of a new figure to the campfire. They were tall and incredibly well muscled, the sinews of their limbs visible even through the green cloak they wore. The newcomer sat down, and held a white gloved palm to their face, pulling off an iron mask. The group fell silent, apart from the crackle of the fire.

"How was the rest, Vocus?" Fae piped up.

Marthus couldn't quite tell what happened next. There seemed afterwards to have been a chorus of voices, speaking disjointedly but gradually coalescing into one voice. It was unlike anything Marthus had ever heard, melodies and dissonance all in one sound. And then it all came together, and it was distinguishable.

"I rested well, thank you." Vocus spoke. There were dozens of tones within that sentence alone.

Marthus attempted to peek under the hood of the cloak, but even with the light of the fire, he couldn't make any facial features out. Cam noticed his endeavors, and leaned over to him, speaking softly in his ear.

"Vocus... Well, Vocus is a little odd. Just telling you now, before they reveal themselves to you."

At that, Vocus threw back their hood revealing what Marthus would never have expected. A massive Sup Guy's head rested on Vocus's shoulders. As far as Marthus could tell, Vocus _was_ a Sup Guy, just a lot bigger than normal.

Maxwell stepped into the clearing, dragging what looked like half a boar. One of his blades was buried in the carcass, while the other sat sheathed at his side. "Ah, I see the gang's all here! Shall we explain everything to our friend Marthus?"

 _Enjoyed? Leave a review below! Thanks for reading and I'm sorry it took so long!_


	16. Chapter 3 (II)

_Hope you enjoyed the last chapter, it was interesting to introduce some new characters, and I hope that you guys will enjoy this arc as it continues! Warning: gore._

"Firstly, let me say that we aren't against the government. We're not crazy anarchists who are hiding in the woods, we're just people who have reasons to…" Maxwell seemed to be searching for the words.

"Not be found. The government people aren't people we want to meet." Cam stated, her face clouding over. She poked at the ashes of the breakfast fire, not looking up again.

"Why'd you rescue me then? Even if I have no idea what I did wrong, they could have explained, and I could have helped."

Maxwell's face lit up. "See, that's what _we_ need you for. We need your help with something."

"And that is?" Marthus was beginning to grow impatient. _What are they getting at?_

Fae stood up, pulling a long knife from seemingly nowhere. "When you pissed off the Stargazer, and he came down to Victubia, you and Maxwell fought with the Colossus and Midnight Queen by your sides, you with the Colossus and wolf-man here with the Midnight Queen." Maxwell looked disgruntled at the wolf-man comment, but he appeared to let it slide.

"I really don't see where this is going… However, I do follow you."

Fae began to draw in the dirt with the point of her knife. A crescent, helmet, and finally a star took shape in the dust. Then another image, a strange collection of lines that overlapped and twisted, seeming like a strange flower. Finally, she trisected the star, and drew a gem and a hand next to the flower-like shape.

"These are the remnants of that battle. The crescent, Raz's pendant. What he used to defeat you so easily. The helmet, representing the Sigils. You're familiar with those. The star, what was left of the Stargazer, what was trapped in this world. It's only a small fraction of that power, but when you have infinity in your palm, a little can be a lot."

"And the parts connected to that?" Marthus leaned over the sketches, studying them, attempting to draw some kind of meaning from the lines in the dust. Fae gently nudged him back, so as not to obscure her view.

"I was just getting to that. The gem is the physical manifestation, the stone set in the Mayor's ring. Powerful, but only if you can 'crack' it open. The hand is the… non-physical manifestation, all the power that touched the world. Lead to some interesting things, but I can explain that later. Finally, the living manifestation. That symbol is what Vocus was lying on, when we found them. Who knows what it means…"

"So really what you need me for is to investigate what the hell happened when the Stargazer was defeated?" _Was that really it? Everyone takes too long to explain everything._

Maxwell stood up at this point, stretching his legs. Marthus hadn't even heard the man squat beside him. "Exactly. I've lost contact with the Midnight Queen, and the only physical link to her is that pendant. Somehow I don't think Raz will be willing to just hand it over. The Sigils would be easier, but there's a third option. We visit Vocus' home."

Cam seemed to have been waiting for this cue, as she stood quickly and began packing up the tents. Fae stood, wiped the blade of her knife with a cloth and resheathed it. Maxwell stamped out the coals and walked away to who knew where. Vocus sat, watching the last dying embers.

"So you're all just going to leave me hanging on that? Where are we even _going?_ What happened to the dead boar!? Guys? _"_

"They are simply anxious to be off. The airship we will borrow is casting off in a few hours, and although it is crewed by pirates, pirates still tend to stick to deadlines." Vocus sang. The massive Sup Guy heaved themself to their feet and walked to the cart, returning with over three hundred pounds of wheeled wood and nails pulled behind them.

"We're taking an airship to your home?" Marthus had never ridden an airship, and he was intrigued by the idea.

"Too far to walk, at least for them, but also too long. Speed is necessary. I wish to know my origins." Vocus refused to elaborate more as they hitched up the horses and led the beasts over to the others, who hopped aboard the cart. "Are you coming, bodyguard?"

==O==

The docking tower loomed in the distance, the bulging shape of the airship looking like some strange tumor, attached by mooring ropes. Maxwell had gone on ahead, his body rippling and changing into the now-familiar wolf. There was no one on the tower but a watchman who had fallen asleep, likely having stayed up the whole of the previous night. The sun was beating down as Fae and Cam worked together to get the group and their belongings to the top of the tower, launching items upwards and then shifting them with currents of air to the relative safety of the tower. The ascent was just as rapid as the first time Cam had launched him up, but with less fear this time around.

Now they all stood on the platform three quarters up the tower, apart from Fae, who floated in midair a few feet off, swooping low and then floating back up. The cart had been left below, but it was empty now, a small framework of planks that looked from this height as if it could be crushed by stepping on it. About two hundred feet away, the suspended cabin of the airship bustled with activity. No one had noticed them.

"How are we supposed to get over there?" The wood of the tower creaked in a brief gust of wind, and Marthus was no longer so sure of it's structural integrity.

Fae had touched down and was now standing at the edge of the platform, near a mooring rope. She grinned at him, a look of excitement on her face. "We cast off!"

The violet-eyed girl slashed the knot fastening the rope to the pylon, scooped up the end of the rope, tying a quick knot at the bottom. She straightened and sprinted towards the edge of the platform, launching herself off with a cry of joy. _Are we… expected to do…_ that? It appeared so as Cam fastened her flails to her belt, repeated Fae's action, and launched herself off, bellowing as she went.

"Come on theennnnnnn!"

"Maxwell, you're not going to make me do this… please?" _It's not that I'm scared of heights, but trusting your life to a flimsy cord?_ There were three ropes left, one for Vocus, one for Maxwell… and one for him.

"Sorry, Marthus. This is the only way we're getting onto our ride. Enjoy the trip!" A rope was shoved into his hand, and the former Islingr grasped it out of instinct, just before it was nearly jerked out of his hands, sending him careening over the edge.

The wind whipped past Marthus' face, his eyes mere slits, eyelids clenched to protect from the air streaming past him. _If I die here, that'll just be embarrassing._ He skimmed lower, over the trees now, but angling up again as he passed the midpoint of his arc. Glancing back, he could see Maxwell swinging down behind him. There was still one rope attached to the tower, and the figure of Vocus stood next to it, simply waiting. Marthus turned back, took a deep breath, and let out a whoop of exhilaration.

"I haven't flown like this since… since… I don't even remember! Oh shit."

This last resulted from the airship's underbelly looming in his vision. Visions of slamming into hard wood filled his mind, before he felt the rope begin to shift, angling him towards what looked like a cargo bay of a sort. _There's no way I can make it all the way up there, not enough rope, not enough energy…_ But he did. There was a pressure on his back in the last few seconds, a blast of wind to propel him just enough to make it inside. The rope fell away, likely to hang from whatever vital mooring point it was attached to.

"Welcome!" Fae giggled at Marthus' shocked face. _I was so sure I wouldn't make it…_ "One sec, I'll be with you in a moment." Her brow furrowed with concentration, and Maxwell flew over the lip of the bay, landing and rolling gracefully to his feet. "Ten outta ten there Max. Beautiful execution."

Cam walked back to the group, presumably from a small reconnaissance of the space. "Glad ya could all make it up. But where's Vocus? Seems like they'd have come up by now, don't it?" Cam peered over the edge, and then her eyes widened in shock. "C'mere everyone. This is some weird shit."

Below, Marthus could make out Vocus attached to the end of the rope by their… feet? _What the hell?_ As the group looked on in awe, Vocus casually walked vertically _up the rope_ , one foot in front of the other, with no evidence of tethers or assists. A gust of wind whipped the rope back, but Vocus simply continued their stroll, inverted now, head brushing the highest treetops. This continued until Vocus reached the underbelly of the airship, out of sight, but probably still casually defying gravity. _They really are powerful…_

When the Sup Guy reached the entrance to the bay, they walked up over the edge and gazed around the awestruck onlookers with an expression of puzzlement. "Is there something wrong?" the choral voice queried.

"N-no," Fae took a breath and shook her head quickly, gathering herself. "But that was INCREDIBLE!" She seemed about to burst with excitement at what she had just witnessed. "If all of us had that kind of ability, it would be… would be…"

A susurrating sound like rushing water filled the room and it took Marthus a moment to realize it was Vocus's laughter. "Yes, little one, it would be a strange world indeed. Shall we find the crew?"

==O==

The airship was small, but the crew had firearms and knew how to use them, according to Maxwell. Marthus got "lucky" and was assigned to attack the bridge. _Three men, one guarding and the other two checking instruments. Seems easy enough._ Marthus had one of Maxwell's strange blades, his own having been taken by the MODs upon his incarceration.

"Captain, we're ready to cast off. That… important cargo is secure in the hold." The man who appeared to be first mate glanced up from the board of instruments before him. He didn't look like a pirate, just like a harmless man with mousy brown hair and a squinting problem. _Makes him all the more dangerous._

The man at the wheel was silent. He really looked the part of a pirate, down to a tricorn cap and tangled beard. "You dimwit, have you not noticed that we are ADRIFT RIGHT NOW?! WHO THE FUCK CAST OFF?"

"I-I'm sorry Captain, no one's been at the tower since three hours ago…"

"And when was the last time you checked?!" the captain roared.

"Thirty minutes ago, s-sir…"

Marthus stepped onto the bridge, already running towards the captain. "I believe I can explain." The blade cut into the man's arm, tearing sinew with a wet ripping sound, and causing gouts of blood to spurt from the wound. _Serrated for maximum damage and pain I see… Maxwell, you are_ wicked. "You've been hijacked."

The crack of a pistol sounded, the sharp noise echoing off hard walls in the small space. The projectile whipped past Marthus' face, narrowly missing an eye. _I don't have my armor anymore, have to remember that._ The captain had collapsed, clutching his arm. The first mate had taking up a position behind the instrument bank, bracing the handle of his pistol on the top. The navigator had simply run, likely to sound an alarm. _Dammit! Well, no helping it now. Let's hope the others are doing their work…_

Marthus vaulted the wheel and sprinted towards the first mate. Another shot rang out, but this one hit it's mark. Marthus stopped dead. _I'm an idiot._ He collapsed to the floor, hands pressed to his chest, blood between his fingers, blade forgotten. _I can't be the hero now, can I?_ He lay there as the first mate walked over, smirking.

"Thought you might catch us by surprise? Well, you got Captain there, but as you can see, you're dying now. Nice killing you."

Marthus looked up into the face of the man, the eyes hard and mocking, set in sockets that seemed to be falling away. _No, it's his whole face. It's falling off. Some death hallucination, isn't this…_ Then Marthus could see the skull. It was odd, no blood or screams, just a silent face melting into a skeleton. The skull detached, fell to the ground beside Marthus, and then was replaced by the face of a Sup.

"You are not who you once were, Marthus. Take more care of yourself." Vocus admonished, the tone of chiding evident across all the voices within the one.

Marthus looked down, reacting to a tugging at his chest. A misshapen metal ball floated there, directly above a hole in his jacket. Underneath was smooth skin, no trace of the wound. _What the hell IS Vocus?_ The bodyguard drew himself to his feet, and looked beside him. The skull lay there, with the rest of it's skeleton, as well as a puddle of… he couldn't say exactly what. It was pinkish, and fleshy. Marthus shivered and turned away from the grisly sight. _He just dissolved that man without a moment's hesitation…_

The man picked up his blade, still stained with the captain's blood, walked back over to the wheel and slit the captain's throat. "An act of mercy," he whispered as the agonized and dying skyfarer breathed his last.

The strange pair, massive Sup Guy and deathly pale bodyguard, walked up the stairs to the top deck, where the rest waited. There were no questions, only brief celebration and an unspoken understanding that strange things would become common.

==O==

Marthus sat at the prow of the airship, on the balcony that was flush to the balloon itself, the sky spread before him. The iridescent spectrum of the sunset lay before him. The clouds glowed with warm color, and it seemed like the horizon was the massive fireplace for a few dying coals.

"I'm not a hero anymore. All my skill and ability, it counted for nothing in that fight. I would have died if not for you! I'm obsolete!" Marthus shouted. _Goddammit, I feel useless…_

Vocus was sitting next to him, a look of calm on the Sup's face. They turned to face Marthus, a comforting smile spreading across the minimalist features. "You are trying, and sometimes trying means failing and trying again. Someone means to take the heroes from this world, to bring it back to what it was before. Before the Stargazer, before the Colossus, before all otherworldly influence."

"Do you think that's what all of this is about?" Marthus sat back again, back sinking slightly into the fabric of the balloon. Vocus turned back as well, and the pair simply sat and watched the sun set. Once the last trace of color had gone, Vocus spoke again.

"Yes. I suppose it would not be the worst thing, but you must think of what you will do. There will be a time where they will not need a hero, and you need to accept that."

"I know."

They stayed there for a long time, until Cam came up. She carried a sleeping Marthus and guided a sleepy Vocus to their rooms.

 _Hope you liked this one, I've wanted to write a chapter involving an airship for a very long time. Please review if you enjoyed!_


	17. Chapter 4 (II)

_Yet another chapter in the Bodyguard series… Enjoy!_

The Stargazer towered over Marthus, fists blazing with energy. The bodyguard's armor was battered and cracked, and would provide no defense from the onslaught that was sure to end his life. The deity didn't speak a word, but instead brought his fists down, impacting the strange shadowy ground that the pair were currently supported by. Marthus raised a hand more out of instinct than any form of defiance, and the terrible light that bled through the gaps in his outstretched fingers suddenly became warm sunbeams streaming through the rigging of the airship.

"So you are awake." Vocus sat cross-legged across from Marthus, cloak thrown to the side. Light shimmered on the strange membraneous surface of the massive Sup Guy's skin.

"It would appear so, yes." Marthus chuckled. "Are we close to your birthplace?"

"Indeed. I will take this opportunity to tell your more of myself, and what I am, although I still lack knowledge of many things concerning my creation. You seemed curious." Vocus replied.

Marthus leaned forward, eyes bright with interest. "I'd be glad to listen! I've never met or heard of something like you.

"My flesh is like that of a Sup Guy's, but stronger and more resilient after the addition of the magic that infused it. I seem to follow a humanoid stature, but the nature of my muscles mimics a human in peak physical condition."

Marthus was intrigued. "How much can you carry?"

"I have not yet reached my limit, but this broadsword is the heaviest thing that I would wield regularly." The weapon was monstrous, a hunk of steel nearly three-quarters the height of Marthus, and seemed to be glued to the floorboards. Marthus strained to lift it, and failed utterly. Vocus simply hefted it like it was nothing more than a child's toy sword.

"And that magic you exhibited earlier? The melting of the man's head and all that?"

"It comes and goes. I rely on my strength more than my mystic capabilities in battle, as the magic is infrequent."

Marthus decided it would be best to bring up the gravity-defying stroll the Sup had taken the previous day at a later date. _We still have no idea how much they know about what they can do or how they do it… "_ How long has it been since your… birth?"

"I was born the day following the Starfall Incident. I have reason to believe the vestiges of power that the defeated Stargazer released created three things. Myself, the jewel that Gabrielle Nilsson wears, and a third entity as yet unknown. We will find out what that third entity is, as it is the purpose of our trip here."

"HEY! We're gonna be setting down in a few, gather your things!" Cam's voice called from the depths of the airship.

Sure enough, the airship began to sink closer and closer to the earth below. A great expanse of trees stretched below them, green hands reaching up to greet the airship that would soon settle in their midst. Once a clearing was found, Vocus singlehandedly moored the port side of the ship while Maxwell, Marthus and Cam worked to secure the starboard side. Once the airship stood no risk of drifting into the trees, Marthus stepped back to admire their handiwork. _Never would have thought I would get to ride one of these. From what I had heard, they were only used in wartime. I guess exceptions would be pirate ships like this one._ A tap on his shoulder caused him to whirl around, reaching for the sword that Maxwell had lent him.

"Whoa there, calm down. It's just me." Fae's now-familiar grin filled his vision. The wind magi had been piloting the airship throughout their journey, and had just disembarked. A few meters away, Cam snickered at Marthus' surprise.

"Where do we go from here?"

"The place where we found Vocus is just a little ways away from here. We'd better get going, time's wasting!"

With that, the group left their hijacked transport and set off into the forest that surrounded them. Maxwell forged ahead in his wolf body, sniffing for any unwanted presences, while Vocus cut through the undergrowth with the broadsword, clearing great swathes of branches with each swing of the blade.After about half an hour of walking through the woods, Marthus began to grow doubtful that they would ever reach their destination. _Shouldn't we be there yet?_

"We are close." Vocus broke the silence that pervaded the group, before making a final swing and opening the path to a gigantic clearing, dominated by a central tree that towered over the rest. Numerous stumps were scattered around, but the titanic tree was undamaged.

"Wow." Drawing closer, Marthus observed the same symbol that Fae had drawn in the dirt back at the campsite, but this time it was engraved into the top of every single stump in the clearing.

"Look here, Marthus." Vocus gestured to the tree. As the former Islingr drew closer, he could see that the trunk was hollowed out here, but that the tree had grown like that by itself. The symbol was carved into the flattened floor, and twisted and twined across the walls. "This was my cradle."

 **Turn around, sword-light man! You brought Big One back again!**

Marthus spun about to find a horde of Sup Guys at his feet. "H-how…?"

 **Sneakyholes, remember? I'm the Sup you met when you were in the bad place with Shadow Man!**

Marthus recalled his time in prison, and his escape, in part aided by the Sup Guy that stood before him. "Are these all your family?"

 **Yeppy yep! And Big One too! Come on, we wanna show you something!**

Maxwell interjected at this point, "You can hear them? You can actually understand them?"

"Yeah, I mean, one of them helped me get out of a prison a long time ago. Did I not tell you that story?"

Maxwell laughed, "Definitely not, though I'd love to hear it some other time. What do they want us to do?"

"Follow them." Vocus cut Marthus off. Their tone had changed, becoming more musical since the other Sups had appeared. _They must be happy to see their family again._

 **Close your eyes and no peeking!**

Marthus reluctantly shut his eyes, and suddenly felt dozens of tiny spheres cluster around his ankles _. Must be Sup heads, wonder what they're doing…_ Abruptly, he fell backwards, feet thrown out from under him, but landed softly on a bed of squishy objects. _Are they using their bodies as a cushion and… carrying me?_ A chorus of tiny voices cried out instructions and directions to their comrades, and the small army of Sups began moving, an ocean of bodies flowing towards an unknown destination.

Two tiny feet pattered up Marthus' leg and stopped on his chest. Marthus tried to open his eyes to see which Sup it was, but found that his eyelids wouldn't shift. _Guess it wouldn't have helped anyways, they all look the same._

 **Sword-light man! We're taking you to the Home, and we'll help you find the thingy that Starguy put on Earth. Don't worry, we're gonna get to Home real soon!**

"I'll take your word for it. How are you keeping my eyes closed."

 **~Maaaagic~** There was an audible twinkle in the phrase, something that Marthus had never heard before. _These things are so weird…_

 **Weird but FUN!**

"Oh right, you can hear my thoughts."

 **Yeppy yep! I'll just lie down right here till we get home.** The Sup plopped itself down on Marthus' chest and went to sleep. Tiny snores drifted up, sounding like water bubbling.

==O==

About twenty minutes later, the procession stopped. There was a loud rustling, and then the sound of birds chirping. A strange rumble and a cacophony of sounds that Marthus would associate with nature sounded, and then a low murmur of Sup voices.

"Hey, are you guys still there?"

"Yeah, pretty strange, isn't this?" called Maxwell. From further back, Marthus could hear the affirmations from Cam and Fae that they were indeed, still there.

 **Ready to see Home? Three, two, ONE!**

Marthus's eyes snapped open, to a sight he never would have expected. He struggled to process everything he was seeing as he got to his feet. They were in a gigantic grotto beneath the earth, with entire groves of trees and rivers flowing through. High above, a hole in the ceiling let in rays of sunlight that flooded down into the cavern below. Mosses covered the walls, stretching upwards into the darkest depths of the stalactites above, and mushrooms sprouted from crevices in the walls. Sups were _everywhere_. They sat on the branches of trees, frolicked around small hills, and bathed in bubbling springs. As soon as the group entered, they all as one turned to face the newcomers.

 **HI! Welcome Home!**

Marthus whispered out of the corner of his mouth to Vocus, "What _is_ this place?"

Vocus was beaming, looking around at all the faces around them, faces identical to theirs. "This is Home. I am home."

Dozens of Sups swarmed the group, carrying wooden bowls of food and water, as well as stools that seemed almost to be grown smoothly from stone. The group sat, and Vocus brought a Sup forward in the palm of their hand. The Sup seemed… distinguished somehow, a shining Sup in the ranks of a respectable Sup society.

 **Greetings, honorable guests. Would you like some brew or snacks? We make the brew here, and the snacks as well. I think you will find that they replenish energy quite well, and provide a clarity to the mind that will be necessary when you hear my tale.**

Maxwell cautiously reached for a slice of some kind of bread, and took a nibble, "THIS- _mmph-_ this is delicious! You guys need to try it…Whoa."

 **The effects are often near-immediate. Maxwell, you understand what I mean by clarity, correct?**

"Oh yeah. Wow, this is strange."

The rest of the group sampled the snack, and immediately felt refreshed. The effects hit a moment later. To Marthus, it was a similar sensation as to when he reached the highest peak of his meditation during his time with the Sage. His thinking was crystal clear, and he had a new view on the situation. _We need to find this entity, because if it's something like Vocus, then it could cause immense destruction if left unchecked._

 **You are looking for the third vestige of the Stargazer's power, correct?**

"Yes, do ya have any idea where we could find the thing? So far we ain't got a single lead, aside from you and your buddies." Cam spoke up, having recovered quickly from the potent effects.

 **Sleep here, the power of dreams is underestimated, and that power is amplified in this place. Till night falls, you are free to do as you wish. My comrades will find you and bring you back for dinner.** With that, the Sup was gently placed on the ground by Vocus, and toddled off to do who knew what.

"I'm going to take a nap," Fae yawned, "Whatever you guys do is up to you."

In the end, the group split up, Vocus, Cam and Fae staying at Home, while Marthus and Maxwell decided to forge into the woods independent of each other. They were escorted out of Home, blinded again, and then left in separate clearings to find their own paths. A few minutes into his expedition, Marthus spotted a glow, far off in the trees.

"Hello?"

Nothing called back, so the bodyguard began to weave his way through the trees towards whatever the source of the light was. As he breached the outer layer of undergrowth around the glow, it's source became apparent. A large pit filled with some kind of glowing blue mist lay in the center of a grove of trees. _I should tell the others about this…_

==O==

Nearly an hour later, the group was gathered again, again puzzled by new information. Cam seemed to be on edge, itching for action of some kind to occur, while Fae was barely keeping her eyes open.

"Ugh, guys, can I just go back to sleep?"

"NO! We need to figure out what's going on here." Cam brandished an admonishing finger in Fae's face, nearly poking the exhausted girl's eye out.

"Oh come on Cam, give it a rest. She piloted the airship all by herself last night. She must be incredibly tired." Maxwell spoke up, glaring at Cam.

"Damn right…" Fae muttered before dozing off.

The group was abruptly interrupted when a Sup dashed into Home, yelling loudly in a high-pitched voice. **THERE'S A SPOOKY THING COMING OUT OF THE HOLEEEEEE! HEEEEEELP WE'RE GONNA DIE!**

Marthus smirked, "Looks like you'll get to kill something after all, Cam."

 _Cliffhanger! Happy New Year everyone!_


	18. Chapter 5 (II)

_First update in a while, sorry about that. I've been lacking inspiration, and school's been a beatdown. But! I got this one done, so maybe there's hope. Enjoy!_

Home fell silent as the Sup caught its breath, processing what had just been said. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then all hell broke loose. A wave of blue light pulsed slowly from the edge of the hole closest to Marthus, and as it drew near, he could hear the crackling of electricity. A figure stood at the pulse's epicenter, wielding two dark blades that shimmered in the scintillating energy.

"Arc! Everyone MOVE!"

And then came a high whistling, the shaft of an arrow speeding by Marthus' head as he narrowly dodged the rounded head. _They want us alive,_ he thought absentmindedly. The point thudded home into the soil of Home, and the bolt of lightning followed it shortly after. _Or possibly not._ The electricity bridged between Mishy's hand and the planted arrow, the arcing energy skipping towards Marthus, who narrowly dodged the jolt of power that would have sent him to the ground.

Asa was descending slowly into Home, her gaze locked on Fae, who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes and reaching for her knives. Mishy had launched another arrow, one with a cable this time. It had sunk deep into a clump of peat, and Marthus could already see Arc setting up her blades to slide down, zipline-style. Where are Raz and Panda? The bodyguard's question to himself was answered a moment later, as a crushing blow made it's impact on his back.

"Ha HA! Always wanted to do that!" Panda stood over him, having fallen from a Raz-drop with a heavy force concentrated into his shield, a triumphant smile on his face. _He has a shield now..._ Marthus thought groggily as he looked up at the man who had shield-bashed him to the ground.

Raz also stepped into the bodyguard's field of vision, a spot of darkness amidst the vibrant colors of Home. "We've got more to do. Go deal with the earth mage, Panda. They've got another member, but it seems like our old friend Marthus isn't going anywhere."

Panda nodded, and sprinted off somewhere behind Marthus, likely heading to intercept Cam, wherever she might be. Raz simply gazed around at the mayhem with a disinterested gaze. Fae was dueling Asa, far off on the other side of Home. Marthus' vision was beginning to clear, and as it did so, he realized that the Sups had entirely disappeared from the forefront of the conflict. There were no small figures running around in panic, no mental yells of confusion or terror. _Are they organizing something?_ And then a white blur collided with Raz, the attack coming just as the Shadow Mage glanced in the opposite direction. Vocus locked their arms around the MOD, rolling in the dirt as the two fought for control.

A hand gripped Marthus' shoulder and pulled him to his feet, spinning him to face his savior. Maxwell's face was streaked with blood, whether his or an opponent's, Marthus couldn't tell. The man pulled him away from the scuffle, and Marthus stumbled as he fought a sudden dizziness that came over him. _Must have hit me harder than I thought..._ Cam was dueling Asa, the two locked in a parry position at the moment, one of Cam's flails wrapped around Asa's staff, while the wind mage stood just out of reach of Cam's second flail, which circled in clanking arcs above her head.

The pair, bodyguard and shapeshifter, stumbled into a side passage which carried a breeze of fresh air, sharply contrasted by a harsh scent like burning metal. Marthus collapsed against the dirt wall, collecting his energy again.

Maxwell was glancing nervously back the way they'd come. "We need to get out of here. The others will be fine, but those two lightning magi will be looking for us."

Marthus nodded and took the hand that Maxwell offered, and the two set off at a light jog. The tunnel had a slight incline, and was lit by the shafts of light that lanced down from its far-off exit. Nevertheless, Marthus stumbled more than once over small roots and inconsistencies in the terrain. _Did the Sups build all of this? I wonder how long they've been here..._ As they neared the end of the passage, Maxwell unsheathed one of his blades, passing the serrated weapon to Marthus.

"Get ready to fight."

They stepped out into the shafts of sunlight that filtered through the ever-present trees. Marthus scanned the scrub around the bases of the trunks, but no MOD came forth to oppose their escape. Nevertheless, the pair headed to the edge of the small clearing, stopping for a moment to consider their plan.

"If you'd like, I can change and scout ahead? We need to find a place to hide out until the MODs leave Home." Maxwell seemed almost fearful now, his yellow eyes darting at the slightest sound of rustling leaves.

Marthus sighed. _We're lost, and have no idea where the airship is. We're probably going to get caught, but at least we might be able to run for a while._ "Sure. You do your thing, and I'll follow. I'm still without my magic though, and we're outmatched by them, so if they find us, just split and run. I'll find you somehow."

Maxwell nodded, and his face began to elongate into the familiar gray snout of his wolf form. In a few seconds, the man was gone, and the wolf trotted off into the underbrush, glancing back to make sure Marthus followed. They crept through the scrub, moving as quickly as possible while minimizing any noise. At one point, Marthus trod on a fallen branch, producing a sharp snap. The pair didn't move for nearly five minutes out of fear, huddling close to the ground and praying to their gods that no one had heard. No MODs burst out of the bushes, and eventually, the two continued moving, Maxwell weaving through the trees ahead, and looking back at Marthus when it was safe to continue.

As they broke through into yet another identical clearing, Marthus realized he couldn't see Maxwell anymore. The wind was picking up, and the tops of the trees thrashed in the gusts. The grey pelt of his guide had disappeared into the trees, and Marthus had no idea where to head next. Worse, he was exposed. Shit. A rustle sounded in the bushes behind him, and the bodyguard whipped around, just in time to see a vortex of wind tear through the trees.

Marthus was helpless, engulfed by a tempest of howling gusts, dashed against trees, battered practically to pieces by the furious onslaught. When the whirlwind subsided, Marthus lay facedown in the rut torn by the vortex, unable even to lift his head. The blade he had been lent was long gone, lost in the storm. There was a tugging at his arm, a voice in his ear, but the words were drowned by the ringing in his ears. Nevertheless, a few syllables made their way to his dazzled mind.

"Move... behind... safe?"

The former Islingr mumbled about Home being done for, and then there was an idea like a lightning strike in his mind. _The pit._ Pulling himself to his feet, barely standing, even with support, he began to pull Maxwell towards where he remembered that ethereal blue light to be. _Please... let it be there._ There were shouts behind them, and an arrow whistled past and into the dense leaves in front of them. One shove carried them through, and then Marthus was falling, hard and fast, down a steep slope.

"S-shit, Marthus. We're not gonna make it. Where are we even going?"

Marthus chuckled for a moment before descending into a hacking cough that brought up blood and set his ribs on fire. I'm going to die. "Let's just say... there's a gift from the gods nearby, eh?"

"Damned if we do, damned if we don't, I guess. Lead on."

A few more meters brought them to yet another drop off, but this one held a glow at the bottom, an azure light that soothed Marthus' headache just by gazing at it. _How many of these tests of faith do I need to go through?_ He contemplated for a moment, then tried to leap into the pit and miserably failed, tumbling head over heels down the bracken-infested slope. His last thought before he hit the bottom was: _I used to be better at badass entrances_.

==O==

MOD HQ was back to normal, officially, but Gabbi couldn't help but worry about sending all her MODs to hunt down Marthus and the fugitives who had helped him escape. _What if one of them stayed behind, and they're watching HQ right now, waiting for the right time to strike?_ There were added patrols around now, even in broad daylight. But there was still an aura of unease about the place; Felice's sisters chatted less now, and constantly wore expressions of worry on their faces. Ray hadn't been seen outside since his boyfriend was discharged from the hospital, and whenever anyone called on the pair, it was said that he came to the door with a loaded revolver.

After signing off on the latest debrief about the upcoming train station remodeling, Gabbi heaved a tired sigh of relief. _That's the last of it. I wonder if I should take lunch now... I've heard good things about the new sandwich place nearby..._ But then the Mayor remembered the two police officers who were to escort her at all times now when the MODs were not present, and the cozy fantasy of a hot tea and a warm sandwich evaporated. Constables tended to spoil the mood of everyone in a food establishment, if they were required to act as sentries over the room.

She heaved herself to her feet and went to the door, opening it just enough to stick her head out. "Freya! Could you get me something to eat? I think I'll be staying in today."

Without waiting for the reply, Gabbi quietly shut the door and sat back down, resting her head on the desk, and waiting for the MODs to return. Birds chirped outside, and there was a slight tinkling for a moment. A shadow briefly blocked the sunlight streaming through her window, so quickly if she had blinked she would have missed it. The Mayor sat bolt upright, opening her mouth to call for help before she saw the paper-wrapped needle that had sunk into the wood of her desk. There was a tiny, clean hole at the top of the window, not a single crack emanating from the edge of the glass. The sound had come from the circle of window that had fallen on to the floor, as if cut out and poked out to land on the floor. Gabbi scooted out of the line of sight from the window, and gradually worked her way towards the wall furthest away, before unrolling the paper. The script was elegant, almost looking outdated in its style, and paper crackled as the Mayor unfurled it and read the message:

 _I have your quarry, an Islingr, yes?_

 _He is safe and sound, staying as my guest._

 _Your friends have not found him, at least not yet._

 _If I return him to you, you'll be in my debt._

 _But I really don't know, if I'll take on that chance..._

 _Until next time, Mayor Gabbi, enjoy this little dance._

As soon as she finished the message, almost if the words somehow knew they had served their purpose, the paper caught alight. Azure flames spread like sky-blue water over the page, but the Mayor's hands did not burn. Instead, the flames began to spread up her arms, until she gazed at the world through a curtain of conflagration, completely covered in fire.

"Uhhhh, can someone help me?" The Mayor called, as the twisting flames continued to dance across her clothes and skin.

The firestorm whirled faster and faster, and when Freya and the constables burst through the door, they were confronted by a raging hell of sapphire. Freya managed a single cry of fear, barely audible to Gabbi through the roar of the fire, before the world twisted, and she was gone. Only a smoking sigil was left on the floor, burned in by the intense heat. The constables scoured the room, but there was no trace of Gabrielle Nilsson. The Mayor of Victubia was gone.

==O==

The metallic taste of blood in his mouth as the cuts on his lip dripped. The clang of metal against metal, and the screams of battle. Cold iron of the gauntlets on warm and sweaty hands, and between those palms, the shaft of a battle standard. The smoke cleared, and an abomination charged towards him, a mishmash of flesh and claws, screeching in terror as his comrades pursued it deep into their own formation before it could cause more damage. The faceless soldiers launched a weighted net at it. But he couldn't move fast enough, couldn't escape the snare that trapped him against the howling beast's flank, couldn't hide from the savaging claws that tore his side and midsection, slowly reducing him to nothing.

"Please don't be dead, don't leave me here like this..." The sound of a faint sniffle, before an angry cry, mixed with anguish. "Goddammit, you got us into this shit! Islingrs don't die this easy, do they?!" The voice broke, no barrier holding back the grief. There was a pressure on his chest, and a damp sensation.

Marthus came to fully, snapping upright, much to the joy of Maxwell, who lay prostrate on top of him. The man seemed astonished at his friend's resurrection, and even more surprised when Marthus embraced him.

"I'm not down yet, don't count me out so easily." The bodyguard noticed their surroundings for the first time. "What godsforsaken place have we landed in now?"

Maxwell leapt nimbly to his feet, and glanced around. "Honestly? I have no idea. The Queen never told me about this place, but she should have if it's a pocket dimension..."

"Pocket dimension?"

The shapeshifter turned back to his companion with an incredulous look, "You mean you were an Islingr without knowing about the types of worlds? Sheesh, the gods are falling down on the job here. It's like a smaller world, usually attached to a larger one, and connected by portals to its parent. My guess is that's what we're in. But judging from this, it's not small at all..."

The space was massive, a cavern stretching into black, illuminated only by small yellow fireflies. The pair had fallen from somewhere high above, and barely landed in a crystalline web-like bridge spanning an abyss whose bottom only the gods knew. Marthus had broken through the the bottom layer, where a thick spine of some mineral jutted from the web around them had caught him. Maxwell appeared to have climbed down the structure, using the plentiful footholds in the patchwork of crystals to reach his fallen friend. What seemed to be the top was far off, high above his spread-eagled position, and with a vertical climb for the majority of the way.

 _Nowhere to go but up, I guess?_ Marthus pulled himself to his feet, wincing as most of his body lit up with spikes of pain. Glancing down at himself, the bodyguard realized his body was networked with lacerations everywhere, leaving his clothes in tatters and his skin marred with angry lines of crimson. _Must have been a worse fall than I thought... then again, I landed on what's practically glass. Suppose I can't expect much sympathy from that._ As if on cue, there was a quiet tinkle, a reminder that they needed to get moving. Marthus walked quickly, grabbing and pulling Maxwell with him to the wall of crystal webbing. The mineral was smooth, and slippery, not at all as jagged as it had appeared from a distance, and pale, like pearl. But the climb was still treacherous, and moments after the two stepped off the spine that had broken their fall, the protrusion snapped off, not adapted to the added weight of two humans. At that point, Marthus and Maxwell were already a fair distance above, but it still unnerved the Islingr to think that the whole structure could shatter in seconds, like a glass squeezed too tightly.

They were fifteen minutes into the climb, and the work was arduous, using exhausted muscles to pull oneself up a vertical face that would punish any slip-up fatally. _The Sage had me doing worse. I wish I had had the chance to thank him for his training._ But beside him, Maxwell was struggling. The man was obviously fatigued, and sweat ran down his forehead like small rivers. The end was in sight, but Marthus wasn't sure his friend could make it. Panic overtook him for a few moments as they continued the climb, until the bodyguard noticed a large gap in the crystal, one that could possibly provide a resting place, a haven to recover their energy, and possibly plan.

"Look, Max, see that gap? You just have to make it there, then you'll get as long a break as you want. Okay?"

Looking over, his friend gave a brief nod, but did not speak. Marthus was the first to reach the hollow, and as he gripped the edge, he nearly fell in surprise. A swarm of fireflies burst forth from the area he had just gained a grip on, a storm of light that threatened to blind him with tiny stars. As the light faded, Marthus reached down to lift Maxwell up, intending to swing him into the alcove. The man's yellow eyes widened in surprise at the new pressure on the nape of his neck, but one half-hearted jump later, he was tumbling into the gap in the crystal. There was a brief cry of surprise, and then silence.

"Maxwell? You alright?" No reply greeted Marthus' question, so the Islingr pulled himself up, ignoring aching muscles, and was met with an illogical sight as he hung half-in, half-out of the opening.

A forest spread before him, trees and undergrowth in lush and bountiful arrays of greenery. A scent of pine was crisp in his nostrils, the scent a sharp contrast to the damp and stale smell of the cavern behind him. A few feet ahead, Maxwell lay groaning, having rolled a ways down the small slope that led to the gap where Marthus hung now. The bodyguard in question leaned back, glancing to another hole in the crystal right next to him. It went straight through the calcified mineral, giving a view to the open expanse of the cavern. No trees, no smell of pine. _What the hell, it's magic. Definitely more comfortable than this place though…_ And with that, he pulled himself through and crawled down next to his friend, collapsing onto his front and closing his eyes with a heavy sigh.

When Marthus came to, he rolled over to find a small piece of metal pointed between his eyes. Following the metal led his focus to a long shaft, and finally the pair of purple-hued, taloned hands. And then there was another object filling his vision: a smiling, round face ringed by blonde curls, belonging to a young woman who couldn't be older than fifteen. The face withdrew, and the two figures came closer to him, but the blade stayed the same distance from his forehead, ready to strike at any time.

"Would you like some help with your friend there? Ah, sorry, I'm Evelin, Eve for short. Pleased to meet you, whoever you are."

"Why can't people just introduce themselves normally any more?"

 _Aaaaaand that's a wrap! Hope this 'filler' wasn't too boring for you all, and yes I do have too many characters. I'm hoping to update Bodyguard more often in the coming days, so maybe that's something to look forward to for you all! As always, if you enjoyed what you read, please feel free to leave a review!_


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